THE 

GREAT 
PLAINS 


RANDALL  PARRISH 


. 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 


BY  MR.  PARRISH 

WHEN  WILDERNESS  WAS  KING.  A  Tale  of  the  Illinois 
Country.  Illustrated  by  the  Kinneys. 

MY  LADY  OF  THE  NORTH.  The  Love  Story  of  a  Gray- 
Jacket.  Illustrated  by  E.  M.  Ashe. 

A  SWORD  OF  THE  OLD  FRONTIER.  A  Romance  of  the 
Time  of  Pontiac's  Conspiracy.  Illustrated  by  F.  C. 
Yohn. 

IHuStrated  b?  Arthur  I- 
Illustrated 


Each  $1.50 

HISTORIC  ILLINOIS.  The  Romance  of  the  Earlier  Days 
With  Map  and  Fifty  Illustrations.  Price  $2.5o  net. 

THE  GREAT  PLAINS.  The  Romance  of  Western  Amer- 
ican Exploration,  Warfare,  and  Settlement,  1527-1870 
With  numerous  illustrations.  Price  $1.73  net. 

A.  C.  MCCLURG  &  Co.,  CHICAGO 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  WESTERN  AMERICAN 

EXPLORATION,  WARFARE,  AND 

SETTLEMENT,   1527-1870 


BY 


RANDALL  PARRISH,  IS 

AUTHOR  OF  '•  WHEN  WILDERNESS  WAS'  KING,"  "  MY  LADY  OF  THE 
NORTH,"  "HISTORIC  ILLINOIS,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


WITH  MORE  THAN  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS 


SECOND  EDITION 


CHICAGO 

A.  C.  McCLURG  &  CO, 
1907 


COPYRIGHT 

A.  C.  MCCLURG  &  Co. 
1907 

Published  September  14,  1907 
Second  Edition,  November  25, 1907 


R.  R.  DONNELLEY  &  SONS  COMPANY 
CHICAGO 


QH}te  italume  ta 

TO  THOSE 

WHO,  BY  REASON  OF  THEIR  COURAGE,  PRIVATIONS,  AND  SACRIFICES 
RENDERED  POSSIBLE  THE  WRITING  OF  THIS  STORY 

OF  AMERICAN  ACHIEVEMENT, 

THE  MEN  AND  WOMEN  WHO  WON  THE 

GREAT  PLAINS  FROM  SAVAGERY  TO  CIVILIZATION 


o 
o 

cc 
o 
j 

< 

H 


I  hear  the  tread  of  Pioneers, 

Of  Nations  yet  to  be ; 
The  first  low  wash  of  waves,  where  soon 

Shall  roll  a  human  sea. 

—  Whtitier. 


PREFACE 

HERETOFORE  the  romantic  history  of  the 
Plains  has  never  been  condensed  within  the 
limits  of  a  single  volume.  The  facts  herein  nar- 
rated have  been  scattered  throughout  a  multitude 
of  books,  some  of  which  are  named  in  the  Note  of 
Acknowledgment.  In  addition  to  these,  it  has  been 
found  necessary  to  consult  files  of  newspapers,  old 
magazines,  and  not  a  few  unpublished  manuscripts 
in  the  possession  of  various  State  Historical  Socie- 
ties. The  labor  of  collating  and  arranging  material 
has  been  no  small  part  of  the  task,  and  was  supple- 
mented by  extensive  travel  throughout  the  regions 
described. 

In  treating  of  the  Great  Plains  I  have  purposely 
omitted  Texas.  The  story  of  the  Lone  Star  State 
is  so  distinctly  separated  from  that  of  the  more  cen- 
tral and  northern  Plains  country,  both  as  regards 
settlement  and  warfare,  as  to  require  greater  space 
than  could  be  afforded  within  a  single  volume. 

It  would  be  presumptuous  to  suppose  that  a 
book  covering  so  wide  a  field  could  be  entirely  de- 
void of  errors;  but  I  am  confident  that  the  work 
may  be  relied  on  for  historical  accuracy. 

There  are  two  perfectly  legitimate  ways  of 
writing  history.  One  is  to  make  a  simple  statement 

[vii] 


PREFACE 

of  facts;  the  other,  to  clothe  the  statement  in  lan- 
guage fitted  to  appeal  to  the  reader's  imagination. 
It  is  perhaps  unnecessary  to  say  which  method  I 
prefer,  the  book  itself  being  sufficiently  illustrative. 
It  is  written  largely  for  those  to  whom  history  has 
been  heretofore  dry  and  unpalatable,  and  my  sole 
desire  is  that  it  may  awaken  within  their  hearts  a 
fresh  interest  in  those  who  were  the  pioneers  in  the 
redemption  of  the  Great  Plains. 

R.  P. 

Chicago,  May  I,  1907. 


[viii] 


NOTE  OF  ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

THE  following  authorities  have  been  used  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  this  volume:  Parkman's  "A  Half  Century  of 
Conflict  " ;  Hitchcock's  "  The  Louisiana  Purchase  " ; 
Bancroft's  "  United  States  History  " ;  Herbert  Bancroft's  "  Colo- 
rado and  Wyoming";  Chittenden's  "History  of  the  American  Fur 
Trade  " ;  Marcy's  "  Army  Life  on  the  Border,"  and  "  Overland 
Expeditions  " ;  Winship's  Edition,  "  The  Journey  of  Coronado  " ; 
Inman's  "Old  Santa  Fe  Trail",  and  "Old  Salt  Lake  Trail"; 
Grinnell's  "  Story  of  the  Indian  " ;  Hough's  "  Story  of  the  Cow- 
boy " ;  Laut's  "  Story  of  the  Trapper  " ;  Forsyth's  "  Story  of  the 
Soldier  ";  Gregg's  "  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  ";  Dodge's  "  Our 
Wild  Indians";  Belden's  "The  White  Chief";  Brady's  "In- 
dian Fights  and  Fighters  " ;  Spring's  "  Kansas  " ;  Holloway's 
"History  of  Kansas  " ;  Bowles's  "Across  the  Continent " ;  Rich- 
ardson's "  Beyond  the  Mississippi  " ;  Sanborn's  "  Life  and  Letters 
of  John  Brown  ";  Transactions  Kansas  Historical  Society;  Lum- 
mis's  "  Spanish  Pioneers,"  and  "  Pioneer  Transportation  in 
America";  Reports  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  Pike,  and  Long; 
American  State  Papers;  Nebraska  Historical  Transactions; 
Custer's  "  Boots  and  Saddles  " ;  and  others  referred  to  in  the 
text.  R.  P. 


[ix] 


CONTENTS 


PART  I.— EXPLORATION 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     NATURE   OF   THE   GREAT   PLAINS;   FLORA  AND 

FAUNA           .            .            .            .  17 

II.     THE  INDIANS  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS    .  .      29 

III.  THE  FIRST  SPANIARDS     .            .            .  41 

IV.  THE  FRENCH  EXPLORERS            .            .  -53 
V.     THE  EXPEDITION  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARK  .  .61 

VI.     THE  EXPLORATIONS  OF  PIKE  AND  LONG  .       71 

VII.  THE  FUR-TRADERS         .  .  .  .80 
VIII.     INCIDENTS  DURING  THE  FUR  TRADE      .  .      97 

IX.     BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRADE  .  .     108 

X.     INCIDENTS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRAIL      .  .121 

XI.     EARLY  TRANSPORTATION  ON  THE  PLAINS  .     130 

PART  II.— THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  POSSESSION 
I.     THE  FIRST  EMIGRANTS  .  .  .  .140 

II.     EARLY  ARMY  SERVICE     ....     152 

III.  DURING  THE  WAR  WITH  MEXICO          .  .164 

IV.  THE  REIGN  OF  THE  PRAIRIE  SCHOONER  .  .     173 
V.     THE  OVERLAND  ROUTE  .            .            .  .182 

VI.     THE  OVERLAND  STAGE  LINES      .  .  .192 

VII.     ADVENTURES  AND  TRAGEDIES  ON  THE  OVERLAND     204 

VIII.  THE  PONY  EXPRESS        ....     215 
IX.     THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS  —  THE  FIRST  EN- 
COUNTERS       .....     225 

X.     THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS  —  DURING  THE  CIVIL 

WAR  .....     233 

[xi] 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XI.    THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS  —  MASSACRE  AT  FORT 

PHILIP  KEARNEY       ....     242 
XII.     THE    ARMY    ON    THE    PLAINS  —  THIRTY-TWO 

AGAINST  THREE  THOUSAND  .  .  .     252 

XIII.  THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS  —  THE  FIGHT  ON 

THE  ARICKAREE          ....     260 

XIV.  THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS  —  THE  SURPRISE  OF 

BLACK  KETTLE          ....     272 
XV.    THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS  —  INCIDENTS  OF  IN- 
DIAN WAR      .....     282 

PART  III.— OCCUPATION 

I.     THE  BEGINNING  OF  SETTLEMENT  .  .  289 

II.     THE  STRUGGLE  IN  EASTERN  KANSAS      .  .  300 

III.  DAYS  OF  THE  CATTLE  KINGS      .  .  .  314 

IV.  BUILDING  THE  FIRST  RAILROAD    .            .            .  326 
V.     BORDER  TOWNS    .....  335 

VI.  OUTLAWS  AND  DESPERADOES       .            .            .     344 

VII.  FRONTIER  SCOUTS  AND  GUIDES    .            .            -355 

VIII.  MUSHROOM  TOWNS         ....     366 

IX.  IN  1870    .            .            .            .            .            .376 


[xii] 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

THE  GREAT  PLAINS          ....    Frontispiece 

AN  INDIAN  ENCAMPMENT  IN  THE  BAD  LANDS    .  .      20 

THE  BUFFALO  HUNT      .  .  .  .  .26 

TYPES  OF  INDIAN  CHIEFS  .  .  .  .38 

CABACA  DE  VACA  AND  HIS  COMPANIONS      %  .46 

SCENES   DURING    THE    INDIANS'    SUPREMACY   ON    THE 
PLAINS:    THE     PRAIRIE  —  AN     INDIAN     BUFFALO 
HUNT  .  .  .  .  .  .64 

PORTRAIT  OF  LIEUTENANT  ZEBULON  PIKE        .  .      72 

PIKE'S  PEAK         .  .  .  .  .  .78 

FORT  CLARK,  ON  THE  MISSOURI  RIVER    .  .  .88 

FORT  UNION,  ON  THE  MISSOURI  RIVER    .  .  .92 

INCIDENTS    IN    THE    EXPERIENCE    OF    EMIGRANTS:     A 
MIRAGE  —  A    WAGON    TRAIN  —  A  FORD  OVER  THE 
RIVER  .  .  .  .  .  .102 

A  CARAVAN  ARRIVING  AT  SANTE  FE       .  .  .118 

EARLY  INDIAN  MIGRATION  .  .  .  .132 

PRIMITIVE  MODES  OF  TRAFFIC  ACROSS  THE  PLAINS:  THE 
CARRETA  OF  THE   SOUTH  —  A   MULE   PATH   AND 
PACK  TRAIN  —  ONE  OF  THE  EARLIEST  AMERICAN 
PACK  TRAINS  .  .  .  .  .136 

MORMON  HAND-CART  EMIGRANTS  EN  ROUTE  TO  UTAH    .     148 
SCENES  PICTURING  THE  SETTLEMENT  OF  UTAH  BY  THE 
MORMONS:     EARLY  STREET  SCENE  IN  SALT  LAKE 
CITY  —  THE  CABIN  HOME  OF  A  MORMON  FAMILY  .     158 
AN  EARLY  SCENE  AT  KANSAS  CITY,  MISSOURI    .  .     174 

FRONTIER  FORTS:    FORT  LARAMIE  —  FORT  BRIDGER      .     190 

[xiii] 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

THE  UNITED  STATES  ARMY  IN  SERVICE  ON  THE  PLAINS: 
IN  CONFLICT  WITH  WINTER  STORMS  —  THE  LAST 
STAND  —  ON  THE  MARCH  ....  212 

SCENES  INCIDENT  TO  TRAVEL  ACROSS  THE  PLAINS:  A 
MULE  TRAIN  AT  THE  FORD  —  THE  SOUTHERN 
OVERLAND  MAIL  STAGE  ....  220 

SCENES  CHARACTERISTIC  OF  INDIAN  ATTACK  AND  THE 
DEFENCE  OF  THE  SETTLERS:  THE  LAST  STAND  — 
EMIGRANTS  REPELLING  AN  ATTACK  —  DEFENDING 
THE  WAGON  TRAIN  .....  228 

INDIAN  LIFE  ON  THE  GREAT  PLAINS:  INDIANS  EXECUT- 
ING A  WAR  .DANCE  —  AN  INDIAN  ENCAMPMENT  .  238 

RED  CLOUD,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OGALLA  Sioux  .  254 

SCENES  CHARACTERISTIC  OF  INDIAN  ATTACKS:  A  NIGHT 
ATTACK  UPON  THE  CAMP  —  AN  EMIGRANT  TRAIN 
PREPARING  FOR  DEFENCE  ....  264 

SCENES  OF  INDIAN  WARFARE  ON  THE  GREAT  PLAINS: 
AN  ATTACK  ON  THE  OVERLAND  STAGE  —  CUSTER'S 
CHARGE  ON  BLACK  KETTLE'S  CAMP  —  THE  SCOUT'S 
LAST  SHOT  ......  278 

EMIGRANTS  ON  THE  TRAIL  ....     292 

MlSSOURIANS  GOING  TO  KANSAS  TO  "  VOTE  "       .  .     3O2 

BORDER  RUFFIANS  "  GOING  OVER  TO  WIPE  OUT  LAW- 
RENCE "....,.  308 

SCENES  ALONG  THE  LINE  OF  THE  FIRST  RAILROAD: 
RAILROAD-BUILDING  ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  —  AN 
ATTACK  ON  THE  CONSTRUCTION  GANG  —  TYPE  OF 
TOWNS  WHICH  SPRUNG  UP  ALONG  THE  NEW  LlNE  .  33O 

TRANSPORTATION  AND  COMMUNICATION  ACROSS  THE 
PLAINS  ......  338 

PORTRAIT  OF  KIT  CARSON  .  .  .  .     356 

PORTRAIT  OF  JAMES  P.  BECKWOURTH     .  .  .    362 

[xiv] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 


PART   I.— EXPLORATION 


CHAPTER  I 

NATURE  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS;  FLORA 

AND  FAUNA 

Situation  and  Extent  of  the  Great  Plains 

FROM  a  purely  technical  viewpoint  the  Plains 
properly  form  only  a  comparatively  small  por- 
tion of  that  extensive  area  of  prairie  country 
the  story  of  which  is  to  be  told  in  these  pages.  Yet, 
by  common  consent  as  well  as  historical  precedent, 
the  term  has  become  quite  generally  applied  as  de- 
scriptive of  all  that  vast  region  of  grass  land  and 
arid  desert  which  extended  like  an  uncharted  sea 
of  green  and  brown  desolation  between  the  valley 
of  the  Missouri  upon  the  north  and  east,  and  the 
foothills  of  the  Rockies. 

This  truly  immense  territory,  extending  from 
about  the  centre  of  the  Dakotas  southward  to  the 
Rio  Grande,  possessed  an  average  width  of  five 
hundred  miles.  It  embraced  Texas,  Indian  Terri- 
tory, Oklahoma,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  and  the  larger 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

part  of  the  two  Dakotas,  together  with  a  considera- 
ble portion  of  New  Mexico,  Colorado,  and  Wyo- 
ming. While  largely  similar  in  topography,  it  was 
nevertheless  varied  by  numerous  river  courses,  by 
the  outcropping  of  low  mountains,  by  shifting 
sandhills,  by  occasional  strips  of  woodland,  and  by 
the  gradual  divergence  from  rolling,  luxuriant 
prairie  to  level,  sterile  plain.  Over  all,  however, 
there  remained  a  peculiar  sameness  from  which 
there  was  no  escape.  Mile  after  mile  revealed  the 
same  vast  picture  of  solitude,  haunting  in  its  lone- 
liness, baffling  in  its  similarity  of  outline. 

Description  of  the  Surface 

Along  the  rivers  —  usually  shallow  streams,  the 
water  often  red  with  matter  in  suspension,  the  bot- 
toms treacherous  with  quicksand  —  there  were 
commonly  miles  of  rough,  broken  land,  frequently 
terminating  in  high  bluffs,  and  these  occasionally 
traversed  by  ravines  of  considerable  depth  and  ab- 
ruptness. Trees,  growing  sparsely,  and  deformed  by 
wind,  clung  precariously  to  these  steep  hillsides, 
while  cottonwoods  and  willows  fringed  the  banks 
of  smaller  streams,  usually  visible  for  long  distances. 
There  were  considerable  areas  of  sand,  constantly 
shifting  before  the  violence  of  storms,  the  mounds 
assuming  grotesque  shapes;  such  trackless  wastes 
were  usually  destitute  of  water  and  vegetation. 
Patches  of  alkali,  white  and  poisonous,  stared  forth 
from  the  surrounding  green,  rendering  the  streams 

[18] 


NATURE  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

brackish,  and  impossible  for  man  or  beast.  To 
north  and  south  the  Black  Hills,  the  Wichita  Buttes, 
and  the  Washita  Range  rose  from  out  the  very 
heart  of  the  surrounding  desolation,  tree-covered 
and  rocky.  Here  and  there  "  bad  lands,"  ugly  and 
drear,  gave  unpleasant  variety.  In  widely  remote 
regions  odd  growths  of  black-jack  extended  for 
leagues,  sometimes  nearly  impenetrable,  so  closely 
interlaced  were  the  trees;  while  toward  the  more 
western  mountain  boundary  vast  canyons  formed  al- 
most impassable  barriers,  and  isolated  buttes  arose 
like  ghosts  from  out  the  enveloping  plain,  assuming 
fantastic  shapes  under  the  relentless  chisel  of  the 
elements. 

A  remarkable  region  was  found  in  the  sand  hills 
of  what  is  now  Nebraska.  These,  rounded  and  pos- 
sessing a  thin  covering  of  turf,  often  of  considera- 
ble height,  are  so  exactly  like  each  other  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  distinguish  between  them. 
They  afford  absolutely  no  guidance,  but  rather  pro- 
duce the  confusing  and  baffling  effect  of  a  maze; 
and  once  off  the  trail,  the  unfortunate  traveller  be- 
comes completely  lost.  Farther  north,  between  the 
Black  Hills  and  the  Missouri,  lie  the  Mauvaises 
Terres  of  the  French.  Here  Nature  seems  to  have 
exerted  herself  in  a  search  after  the  repulsive.  The 
whole  country  is  a  series  of  gullies,  with  hills  rising 
above  them  carved  by  the  elements  into  the  most 
fantastic  forms,  unlike  anything  to  be  found  else- 
where. The  soil  appears  oily,  becoming  so  slippery 

[19! 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

when  wet  as  to  make  the  climbing  of  the  steep 
slopes  almost  impossible.  On  these  barren,  ash- 
colored  hills  scarcely  the  slightest  vegetation 
thrives.  Little  animal  life,  other  than  the  snake 
and  the  lizard,  is  to  be  found,  and  all  about  ex- 
tends a  scene  of  complete  desolation. 

Yet,  considered  as  a  whole,  and  as  the  earlier 
travellers  certainly  perceived  it,  this  area  was  com- 
posed of  irregular,  rolling  prairie,  bearing  the  ap- 
pearance of  innumerable  petrified  waves  ever  ex- 
tending toward  the  western  horizon,  until,  growing 
continually  less  and  less  pronounced,  they  finally 
settled  down  into  vast  level  stretches,  forming  the 
Plains  proper  bordering  the  Rockies.  Throughout 
this  entire  distance,  although  usually  imperceptible 
to  the  eye,  the  earth's  surface  had  a  steady  upward 
trend.  The  land  became  more  arid,  the  rainfall 
perceptibly  less,  the  waters  of  the  rivers  diminished 
in  volume,  the  atmosphere  grew  lighter,  and  the 
luxuriant  herbage  of  the  Eastern  prairies  changed 
into  the  short,  nutritious  buffalo  grass  of  the  West- 
ern plateaus.  All  tree  growth  completely  disap- 
peared, nothing  remaining  to  break  the  drear 
desolation  except  the  ghostly  cactus,  or  the  diminu- 
tive Spanish  bayonet,  with  here  and  there  a  naked 
sage  bush,  grim  flower  of  the  desert. 

Three  Distinct  Belts  to  be  Crossed 

To  the  traveller  advancing  due  west  from  the 
Missouri  there  were  three  distinct  belts,  averaging 

[20] 


NATURE  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  each,  through 
which  his  slow-moving  caravan  passed  before  at- 
taining to  the  mountains.  The  first  was  agricultur- 
ally rich,  a  magnificent  prairie  land,  possessing 
abundant  rain,  fertile  soil,  sufficient  timber  along 
the  numerous  water-courses,  and  in  every  direction 
delighting  the  eye.  The  next  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  stretching  from  about  the  g8th  meridian  to 
the  loist,  brought  a  notable  change.  The  rolling, 
verdure-decked  hills,  began  to  sink  away  into  mo- 
notonous plains ;  the  soil  became  less  rich,  and  was 
streaked  with  alkali;  the  waters  of  the  streams  di- 
minished and  grew  unfit  to  drink;  while  vegetation 
became  dwarfed  and  scanty.  The  cactus,  the  sage- 
brush, and  the  prairie  dog  were  much  in  evidence. 
A  suffocating  dust  rose  from  the  trail  under  the 
horses'  feet.  The  third  division  of  the  journey,  ex- 
tending to  the  I04th  meridian,  was  that  hilly  region 
which  led  on  to  those  great  mountain  ranges  already 
plainly  in  sight.  Here  the  traveller  was  in  the  midst 
of  rocky,  barren  desolation,  at  first  a  drear,  grim 
expanse  of  desert,  but  gradually  improving  in  veg- 
etation and  water  as  he  approached  closer  to  the 
mountains. 

Perils  of  the  Journey 

But  not  only  in  its  surface  configuration  was  this 
a  peculiar  country.  Its  fierce  storms,  its  mirages, 
its  perilous  prairie  fires,  the  swiftness  of  attack  by 
its  mounted  Indians,  rendered  it  distinct  from  all 
other  frontiers.  Except  in  the  spring  of  the  year 

[21] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

the  prairie  trails  were  easily  followed.  In  time  of 
rain  the  fords  across  the  streams  became  dangerous, 
the  prairie  roads  were  transformed  into  quagmires, 
and  no  shelter  was  obtainable.  The  storms,  at  what- 
ever season  they  occurred,  were  fierce  and  terrific. 
Those  of  summer  were  cyclonic,  often  working 
great  damage,  while  in  winter  the  awful  blizzard 
was  almost  certain  death  to  any  unfortunate  caught 
unprotected  upon  the  open  plain.  During  the  sum- 
mer season,  after  the  prairie  grass  had  become  long 
and  dry,  destructive  fires  raging  over  immense  dis- 
tricts threatened  terrible  disaster  to  all  in  their 
course.  When  driven  by  a  strong  wind  such  a  fire 
became  a  veritable  travelling  furnace,  bringing 
death  to  everything  in  its  passage.  The  fleetest 
horse  could  not  outrun  its  leaping  flames,  and  the 
only  probability  of  escape  lay  in  prompt  back-firing. 
At  night  the  glare  of  miles  of  flame  made  a  mag- 
nificent spectacle  if  the  observer  could  view  the 
scene  from  some  ffoint  of  safety. 

Perhaps  the  most  distressing  phenomena  of  the 
plains  were  the  mirages.  These  were  more  no- 
ticeable in  the  south,  being  particularly  vivid  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Cimarron  Desert.  In  the  midst 
of  the  gray  desolation  would  suddenly  appear  a 
sparkling  river,  or  a  gleaming  lake.  Everything 
would  seem  perfect,  a  breeze  rippling  the  water, 
the  shores  distinctly  outlined,  yet  it  all  faded  away 
upon  approach.  Occasionally  the  mirage  would  as- 
sume other  forms, —  a  large  caravan,  or  a  splendid 

[22] 


NATURE  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

city, —  but  ever  it  was  a  dissolving  picture,  which 
tantalized  many  a  wearied  traveller. 

The  Flora 

The  flora  and  fauna  of  this  vast  region  during 
the  years  of  its  invasion  by  the  white  man  may  be 
briefly  summarized.  The  most  important  and  prac- 
tically the  only  tree  was  the  cottonwood.  The  best 
known  species  was  the  broad-leaved,  found  along 
the  lower  water-courses,  where  the  trunk  occasion- 
ally attained  to  five  feet  in  diameter,  with  a  height 
of  seventy.  Higher  up  in  the  foot-hills  the  leaf  be- 
came narrower.  Cottonwood  groves  were  favorite 
camping-places  on  the  Long  Trail,  furnishing  fuel, 
as  well  as  logs  for  huts,  and  even  food  for  horses. 
The  bark  was  nutritious,  and  the  animals  not  only 
liked  it,  but  throve  upon  it  as  well  as  upon  oats.  In 
some  of  the  valleys  the  quaking  ash  was  found,  usu- 
ally growing  in  small  compact  copses.  It  was  a 
good  wood  for  fuel.  Toward  the  mountains  pine, 
spruce,  balsam,  and  fir  abounded,  while  cedars  were 
very  numerous,  but  generally  distorted  and  mis- 
shapen by  the  never-ceasing  winds.  Along  most  of 
the  prairie  streams  there  were  willow  growths, 
often  forming  extensive  thickets,  almost  impenetra- 
ble, and  closely  crowding  the  bank. 

Although  the  plains  and  most  of  the  foot-hills 
and  bad  lands  were  absolutely  destitute  of  trees, 
there  were  occasional  extensive  forests  which  be- 
came celebrated.  The  country  about  the  Black  Hills 

[23] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

was  heavily  wooded.  On  the  head-waters  of  the 
Neosho  was  the  famous  forest  of  Council  Grove,  a 
great  camping-spot  for  caravans  bound  for  Santa 
Fe.  The  Big  Timbers  of  the  Arkansas  consisted  of 
a  large  grove  of  cottonwoods  extending  for  several 
miles  along  the  northern  bank  of  that  stream,  a  lit- 
tle distance  below  the  site  of  Bent's  Fort.  The  Cross 
Timbers,  composed  mostly  of  dwarfish,  stunted 
trees,  was  farther  south,  extending  from  the  Brazos 
River  in  Texas,  northwest  to  the  Canadian.  A 
branch  ran  westward  across  the  Canadian  North 
Fork.  On  the  more  open  plains  of  the  north  the 
only  growth  was  sage-brush  and  grease-wood,  while 
to  the  southward  the  cactus  and  the  Spanish  bayonet 
reigned  supreme.  In  Colorado  the  prickly  pear 
was  common,  and  on  the  drear  plains  of  New  Mex- 
ico the  giant  cactus  took  weird,  fantastic  forms. 

But  the  most  important  vegetable  productions 
of  the  entire  region  were  the  grasses.  There  were 
extensive  barren  spots,  drear  desolate  deserts,  but, 
speaking  generally,  no  region  in  the  world  ever  ex- 
celled the  Plains  as  a  grazing  country.  On  the  low- 
er prairies  and  in  the  stream  bottoms  the  growth 
was  luxuriant,  yet  even  upon  the  high  plains,  the 
table-lands  and  hills,  were  found  grasses  of  value. 
One  peculiarity  of  these  grasses  is  that  they  retain 
their  nutritive  power  after  the  season  of  growth  is 
over,  even  under  the  snow  of  winter.  The  three 
chief  ones  were  the  gramma  grass,  the  buffalo  grass, 

[24] 


NATURE  OF  THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

and  the  bunch  grass.     Of  these  the  last  was  most 
widespread  and  valuable. 

The  Fauna 

In  this  extensive  region  the  most  important  ani- 
mals were  the  buffalo,  not  only  because  of  their 
number  but  also  owing  to  their  value  to  the  Indian. 
The  buffalo  furnished  sustenance  for  all  the  tribes 
of  the  Plains.  Almost  everything  the  Indian  re- 
quired was  furnished  by  the  buffalo  —  his  food,  his 
bed,  his  clothes,  his  weapons  of  war  and  chase,  his 
boats,  his  saddles,  and  most  of  the  articles  required 
for  domestic  use.  The  story  of  the  buffalo  can  nev- 
er be  written  in  its  entirety.  Beyond  doubt  the 
range  of  these  strange  shaggy  beasts,  called  by 
the  first  Spanish  explorers  "deformed  cattle,"  at 
one  time  extended  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the 
Alleghanies.  But  steadily  they  were  forced  west- 
ward. It  is  impossible  to  contend  that  this  retreat 
was  caused  by  the  advance  of  the  white  man,  for  it 
largely  antedated  white  occupancy.  As  early  as 
1807  tne  range  of  the  buffalo  had  receded  as  far  as 
the  97th  meridian.  When  first  known  to  early  ex- 
plorers of  the  Plains  the  great  herds  roamed  from 
the  Missouri  to  the  Rockies,  and  from  near  the  Gulf 
to  60  degrees  north  latitude.  The  multitude  of  these 
animals,  within  the  memory  of  men  yet  living, 
was  almost  beyond  belief.  No  enumeration  was 
ever  satisfactory,  but  it  is  incontrovertible  that  they 

[25] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

numbered  millions  upon  millions.  Railroad  trains 
and  steamboats  have  been  held  up  for  hours  to  per- 
mit vast  herds  to  pass.  Innumerable  trails  worn  by 
their  hoofs  are  yet  visible.  The  slight  statistics  re- 
lating to  their  slaughter  in  later  years  are  evidence 
of  the  vastness  of  their  original  numbers.  The 
American  Fur  Company  in  1840  sent  to  St.  Louis 
sixty-seven  thousand  robes,  and  in  1848,  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  thousand.  Twenty-five  thousand  buf- 
falo tongues  were  brought  to  that  city  the  same  year. 
As  early  as  1860  it  was  estimated  by  competent 
authority  that  at  least  250,000  buffalo  were  being 
killed  yearly.  As  late  as  1871  Colonel  Dodge 
writes  of  riding  for  twenty-five  miles  in  western 
Kansas  through  an  immense  herd,  the  whole  coun- 
try about  him  appearing  a  solid  mass  of  moving 
buffalo.  In  that  year  the  animals  moved  northward 
on  their  annual  migration  in  a  column  from  twenty- 
five  to  fifty  miles  wide  and  of  unknown  depth  from 
front  to  rear.  In  the  later  migrations,  as  observed 
by  whites,  the  buffalo  columns  usually  crossed  the 
Arkansas  River  somewhere  between  Great  Bend 
and  Big  Sand  Creek.  Colonel  Dodge  estimates  that 
in  the  three  years  1872-74  at  least  five  million  buf- 
falo were  slaughtered  for  their  hides. 

Other  animals  having  habitat  on  the  Great 
Plains  may  be  considered  briefly.  Along  nearly  all 
the  streams  was  to  be  found  the  beaver,  while  out 
upon  the  prairies,  far  from  his  mountain  lair,  wan- 
dered the  ferocious  grizzly  bear  in  search  of  food. 

[26] 


NATURE   OF  THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

The  black  bear  seldom  left  the  foot-hills.  Elk,  vari- 
ous species  of  deer,  and  antelope  were  numerous. 
The  wolf  was  the  most  ignoble  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Plains.  The  gray  wolf  was  largest  and  most 
troublesome,  although  the  coyote  made  night  hide- 
ous with  its  unending  yowls.  Panthers  and  wild- 
cats were  frequently  encountered,  while  the  prairie 
dog  was  almost  always  in  evidence  in  the  more  des- 
olate regions. 

Next  to  the  buffalo,  however,  the  most  impor- 
tant animal  of  the  Plains  was  the  wild  horse.  The 
horse  was  a  comparatively  recent  arrival,  not  native 
to  America,  but  introduced  by  the  Spaniards  into 
Mexico.  It  multiplied  with  great  rapidity,  over- 
spreading all  the  southern  Plains,  where  it  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Indians,  and  gradually  taken  north. 
As  early  as  1700  it  was  in  quite  general  use.  The 
wild  horses  ran  in  droves  often  of  considerable  size, 
under  the  leadership  of  a  stallion.  They  were  taken 
usually  by  the  lasso,  although  occasionally  "creas- 
ing" was  the  method  employed.  This  consisted  of 
shooting  a  rifle  ball  through  the  top  of  the  neck  so 
as  to  cut  a  nerve,  and  render  the  animal  for  a  short 
time  insensible.  Thousands  were  caught  for  the  mar- 
ket in  the  early  days  of  white  occupancy,  and  as 
late  as  1894  a  few  bands  were  still  running  free  in 
the  Texas  Pan-Handle. 

Transformation  Wrought  by  Civilized  Man 

We  have  now  before  us  a  fairly  accurate  pen- 
picture  of  the  Great  Plains  as  they  appeared  when 

[27] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

first  viewed  by  the  eyes  of  white  explorers.  To 
those  of  this  present  generation,  who  view  plain  and 
prairie  from  the  windows  of  express  trains,  the  orig- 
inal desolation  of  the  broad  expanse  can  scarcely  be 
conceivable.  To-day  farmhouses,  growing  cities, 
and  prosperous  towns  dot  the  miles,  railways  anni- 
hilate distance,  while  foreign  trees,  transplanted  and 
cultivated  with  care,  beautify  the  changed  land- 
scape. The  labor  and  skill  of  civilized  man,  the 
gradual  increase  of  rainfall,  the  development  of 
irrigation,  have  all  combined  to  work  a  modern  mir- 
acle, redeeming  the  arid  waste.  The  desert  has 
become  transformed  into  a  garden.  Only  occasion- 
ally may  the  searching  eye  discern  evidences  of  what 
once  was,  and  that  so  few  years  since,  a  sterile,  sav- 
age-haunted desolation,  in  midst  of  which  adven- 
turous souls  toiled  and  died,  or  struggled  and 
achieved.  The  American  frontier  has  ever  proven 
a  developer  of  character,  and  a  scene  of  constantly 
recurring  contest  against  the  perils  of  the  wilder- 
ness and  against  savagery.  But  the  Plains  produced 
a  peculiar  type  of  pioneer, —  brother,  indeed,  to  him 
of  the  Eastern  woods  and  mountains,  yet  changed 
and  marked  by  the  environment  amid  which  he 
wrought  his  destiny  and  lived  his  life.  The  story 
of  his  struggle  and  triumph  is  unsurpassed  in  the 
annals  of  white  endeavor. 


[28] 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  INDIANS  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

The  Prehistoric  Period 

THE  history  of  this  vast  prairie  land,  from  that 
far-off  age  when  immense  ice  masses  left 
their  marks  on  its  surface  to  the  time  of  the 
coming  of  the  first  adventurous  Spaniard,  is  an  un- 
written, untraceable  story.  We  may  believe  much, 
yet  can  know  but  little.  Tradition  here  and  there 
slightly  lifts  an  edge  of  the  curtain,  but  merely  to 
afford  glimpses  of  savagery.  No  doubt  centuries 
of  conflict  had  been  waged ;  tribes  had  arisen  to  pow- 
er, only  to  be  annihilated;  others  had  been  driven 
from  place  to  place;  yet  all  those  ages  had  wit- 
nessed no  more  than  a  slight  uplifting  from  the 
lowest  form  of  savagery  to  a  rude  barbarism.  Any 
serious  effort  to  reveal  the  secrets  of  this  period 
would  be  but  wasted  energy. 

But  from  the  earliest  ages  the  Plains  must  have 
been  marvellous  hunting-grounds,  the  natural  habi- 
tat of  a  great  variety  of  animal  life,  and  consequent- 
ly overrun  by  aborigines  in  the  chase.  From  this 
cause  alone  the  struggle  for  possession  must  have 
been  unending,  fierce,  and  relentless.  From  the 
Missouri  to  the  Rockies,  during  unknown  centuries, 
was  a  trail  of  blood,  a  continuous  scene  of  tribal  ha- 
tred, of  unbridled  ferocity.  Undoubtedly  there 

[29] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

were  spaces  of  comparative  neutrality,  yet  safety 
was  never  assured  when  wandering  parties  of  hun- 
ters met  by  chance  in  the  wilderness.  Hatred,  jeal- 
ousy, revenge  held  supreme  sway;  the  war-club  and 
the  tomahawk  were  the  rulers  of  the  wide  domain. 
While  he  was  of  the  same  race,  and  in  nature 
similar,  the  environment  of  the  Plains  Indian  made 
him  in  many  respects  different  from  the  red  man  of 
the  Eastern  forests  and  mountains.  Equally  savage, 
relentless,  and  courageous,  the  wide  open  space  of 
his  home  had  marked  him  with  certain  characteris- 
tics which  made  him  a  yet  more  dreaded  antagonist. 
Above  all,  he  possessed  the  horse,  which  afforded  a 
vast  advantage  in  a  military  sense,  the  celerity  of 
movement  being  advantageous  both  for  attack  and 
escape.  It  was  the  mounted  Indian  with  whom  the 
pioneers  of  the  prairies  were  obliged  to  contend  in 
their  struggle  for  possession. 

Condition  of  the  Indians  at  the  Arrival  of  the  Spaniards 

While  it  remains  true  that  an  Indian  is  always 
an  Indian,  yet  each  tribe  has  its  own  peculiarities. 
In  North  America,  north  of  Mexico,  there  were 
nearly  sixty  distinct  languages  spoken,  which  ap- 
parently had  no  relation  to  one  another,  not  even  a 
common  origin.  Almost  as  widely  different  were 
various  tribes  in  culture.  The  Northern  Indians, 
were,  at  the  coming  of  the  whites,  practically  in 
the  Stone  Age  of  development.  The  use  of  metals 
was  unknown.  Native  copper  was  indeed  utilized 

[30] 


THE  INDIANS  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

to  some  extent,  but  it  was  merely  hammered  into 
usefulness.  The  Indian's  weapons  were  of  stone, 
his  clothing  of  skin,  his  pottery  of  the  simplest  kind, 
his  subsistence  derived  almost  entirely  from  hunting 
and  fishing.  Some  slight  agriculture  was  practised, 
such  as  the  raising  of  corn,  beans,  and  squashes,  but 
the  chase  was  the  main  means  of  support. 

Locations  and  Characteristics   of  the   Tribes 

The  greater  number  of  the  Plains  tribes  were 
wandering  and  predatory,  although  a  few  along  the 
Missouri,  and  in  the  Southwest  dwelt  in  permanent 
villages.  Even  the  predatory  tribes  had  some  par- 
ticular section  to  which  they  always  returned,  yet 
they  were  essentially  a  nomadic  people,  taking  long 
journeys  for  purposes  of  the  chase  or  war.  Those 
tribes  with  which  we  have  most  directly  to  do  in  this 
narrative  belonged  to  several  great  linguistic  stocks 
—  the  Algonquin,  the  Siouan,  the  Shoshonean,  the 
Caddoan,  and  the  Kiowan.  Of  the  first,  those  re- 
siding within  the  district  to  be  considered  were  the 
Arapahoes,  the  Cheyennes,  and  the  Grosventres  of 
the  prairie.  The  tribes  of  the  Siouan  stock  occupied 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  valley  of  the  Missouri  with 
a  wide  extent  of  territory  on  either  side.  Those  of 
special  interest  in  the  story  of  the  Plains  were  the 
Mandans,  Sioux,  Poncas,  Omahas,  lowas,  Otoes, 
Kansas,  and  Osages.  Of  the  great  Shoshone  fam- 
ily only  the  Comanches  roamed  over  the  prairie 
country,  their  region  being  south  of  the  Arkansas. 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

The  Caddoans  were  represented  by  two  tribes,  the 
Pawnees  and  the  Aricaras.  The  Kiowas  were  a  dis- 
tinct stock. 

We  will  endeavor  to  take  up  these  tribes  and 
locate  them  as  they  were  first  known  to  the  whites. 
The  Grosventres  of  the  prairie  were  a  part  of  the 
great  Blackfeet  nation,  having  their  home  in  the 
mountains  to  the  northwest.  They  were  a  relent- 
lessly warlike  tribe,  yet  always  maintained  a  spe- 
cially friendly  relation  with  the  Arapahoes,  who 
held  the  country  about  the  South  Fork  of  the  Platte. 
It  was  the  custom  of  the  Grosventres  to  visit  the 
Arapahoes  every  two  or  three  years.  The  result  of 
their  visits  was  invariably  war  with  other  tribes 
through  whose  boundaries  they  were  obliged  to 
pass,  and  incidentally  with  any  unfortunate  white 
men  encountered  on  the  way.  Trappers  and  fur- 
traders  suffered  greatly  at  their  hands.  The  Ara- 
pahoes of  the  South  Platte  were  somewhat  inferior 
in  stature  to  the  Grosventres,  but  resembled  them  in 
face  and  dress.  Their  distinctive  tribal  feature  was 
the  tattooed  breast  They  also  permitted  their  hair 
to  grow  to  great  length,  even  occasionally  using 
false  hair.  They  were  a  wandering  tribe,  living  in 
tents  of  skin.  During  the  early  days  of  exploration 
they  numbered  about  two  thousand  five  hundred 
souls.  They  had  little  trouble  with  neighboring  In- 
dians, excepting  the  Pawnees  and  Utes,  but  were 
hostile  to  the  whites,  until  they  became  interested 
in  the  fur  trade  about  1832,  when  Captain  Gant 

[32] 


THE  INDIANS  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

established  a  trading-post  in  their  country,  and  won 
their  confidence.  They  were  natural  traders,  and 
were  considered  more  honest  than  most  Indians. 

Tribes  Met  by  the  Earliest  Explorers 

The  earliest  explorers  in  the  fur  trade  came 
more  directly  in  contact  with  those  tribes,  mostly  of 
the  Siouan  stock,  inhabiting  the  valley  of  the  Mis- 
souri. Of  these  the  Mandans  were  particularly  in- 
teresting. Early  writers  had  much  to  say  of  this 
people  because  their  country  was  for  many  years 
the  farthest  point  achieved  in  the  fur  trade.  Up 
to  1830  very  few  travellers  got  beyond  the  villages 
of  the  Mandans.  Before  the  arrival  of  the  whites 
they  were  a  great  nation,  numbering  at  least  six 
thousand  souls,  and  occupying  nine  villages.  But 
war  and  smallpox  ravaged  these  towns  until,  at  the 
visit  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  they  numbered  scarcely 
two  thousand.  In  1837  tne  smallpox  again  visited 
them,  and  only  about  thirty  of  the  tribe  survived. 
They  were  a  stationary  people,  living  in  permanent 
villages,  and  relying  largely  upon  agriculture  for 
subsistence,  although  great  hunters  of  the  buffalo. 
Of  fine  appearance,  robust  and  broad-shouldered, 
they  were  a  peaceably  disposed  tribe,  and  remained 
on  friendly  terms  with  the  whites. 

What  is  now  the  State  of  South  Dakota  was  in 
early  days  the  home  of  the  Sioux,  or,  in  their  own 
language,  the  Dakotas.  Their  numbers,  when  first 
brought  into  relationship  with  the  fur-traders,  was 

[331 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

probably  fifteen  thousand.  In  physical  appearance 
they  were  typical  Plains  Indians,  of  stalwart 
physique  and  great  endurance.  They  were  a  no- 
madic race,  their  wanderings  taking  them  far  in 
every  direction,  and  were  exceedingly  warlike,  be- 
ing constantly  in  battle  against  their  neighbors. 
They  were  divided  into  three  tribes — the  Yanktons, 
the  Yanktonais  or  Yanktons  of  the  Plains,  and  the 
Tetons.  The  first  of  these  dwelt  along  the  Missouri 
River,  in  the  valleys  of  the  James,  the  Vermilion, 
and  the  Big  Sioux,  extending  even  as  far  east  as 
the  Des  Moines.  They  numbered  about  a  thousand, 
and  gave  the  whites  but  little  trouble.  The  Yank- 
tonais, numbering  about  two  thousand  five  hundred, 
were  the  most  dreaded  among  the  Sioux.  They  oc- 
cupied the  upper  valleys  of  the  James  and  the  Big 
Sioux,  ranging  eastward  to  the  Red  River  of  the 
North,  and  west  a  long  distance  up  the  Missouri. 
A  favorite  pastime  was  to  ambuscade  the  traders' 
boats  on  the  river.  The  Tetons  was  the  largest 
tribe,  containing  five  thousand  souls.  They  dwelt 
mostly  west  of  the  Missouri,  overspreading  the 
country  to  the  Black  Hills  and  the  North  Platte; 
the  Ogallalas  composed  the  more  southern  branch, 
dwelling  near  the  head-waters  of  the  White  and 
Niobrara  Rivers. 

The  most  dangerous  Indians  encountered  by  the 
Missouri  River  fur-traders  were  the  Aricaras,  or 
Rees,  a  tribe  of  the  Caddoan  stock.  This  people 
held  their  place  in  the  very  heart  of  the  great 

[34] 


THE  INDIANS  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

Sioux  nation,  and  the  remains  of  their  ancient  vil- 
lages, used  in  the  day  of  their  power,  could  be 
traced  all  the  way  from  the  Niobrara  to  the  Cannon 
Ball  along  the  Missouri.  When  Lewis  and  Clark 
visited  them  they  numbered  three  thousand  six  hun- 
dred. Previous  to  1830  these  Indians  lived  in  clay 
huts  similar  to  those  of  the  Mandans.  Physically 
they  were  tall  and  well  formed,  and  their  women 
were  considered  the  handsomest  on  the  Missouri. 
So  far  as  the  whites  were  concerned  the  Aricaras 
were  always  treacherous  and  warlike.  It  was  im- 
possible to  trust  them  in  any  way;  they  were  friends 
to-day,  and  bitter  enemies  to-morrow. 

The  Cheyennes  and   Pawnees 

Leaving  the  valley  of  the  Missouri  and  moving 
westward  to  the  eastern  and  southern  base  of  the 
Black  Hills,  the  traveller  entered  the  country  of  the 
Cheyennes,  who  were  of  Algonquin  stock.  How 
long  this  people  occupied  that  district,  or  from 
whence  they  came,  is  uncertain.  That  they  were 
kindred  to  the  Arapahoes  seems  probable,  and  as 
early  as  1820  many  of  the  tribe  seceded  and  joined 
the  other.  By  1840  all  the  remainder  had  moved 
south,  where  they  also  became  affiliated  with  their 
kindred.  Misfortune  had  made  of  them  wanderers, 
but  they  were  always  a  virile  race,  magnificent 
horsemen  and  superb  warriors.  While  ever  at  war 
with  surrounding  tribes,  with  the  whites  they  were 
usually  at  peace,  although  when  they  took  the  war- 

[35] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

path  they  proved  dangerous  enemies.  Their  prin- 
cipal traffic  was  in  horses,  and  this  trade  led  them 
to  become  great  travellers  across  the  prairies. 

South  and  east,  within  the  present  limits  of  the 
State  of  Nebraska,  their  centre  of  power  the  Loup 
Fork  of  the  Platte,  was  the  great  nation  of  the 
Pawnees.  They  possessed  four  distinct  villages,  or 
divisions,  the  Grand  Pawnees,  the  Republican 
Pawnees,  the  Noisy  Pawnees,  and  the  Pawnee 
Loups.  The  latter  were  probably  a  conquered  peo- 
ple at  one  time  associated  with  the  Aricaras.  The 
Tapage,  or  Noisy  Pawnees,  were  the  least  impor- 
tant; they  were  not  mentioned  at  all  by  Pike,  who 
visited  this  country  in  1806.  Fourteen  years  later 
Long  found  the  Pawnees  living  about  sixty  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Loup.  The  Grand  Pawnees 
were  farthest  down  stream  and  numbered  about 
three  thousand  five  hundred.  Three  miles  above 
were  the  Republican  Pawnees  with  a  population  of 
one  thousand,  while  the  Loups,  four  miles  beyond, 
had  two  thousand.  They  were  village  tribes,  being 
agriculturists  as  well  as  hunters,  and  dwelt  in 
lodges,  some  of  which  were  fully  sixty  feet  in  diam- 
eter, circular  in  form,  having  conical  roofs  of  easy 
slope.  The  Pawnees  were  tall,  slender,  but  well 
muscled.  They  excelled  in  horsemanship,  having 
no  superiors  on  the  Plains.  Though  they  possessed 
permanent  villages,  they  were  great  wanderers,  but 
generally  travelled  to  the  south  or  southwest,  being 
frequently  encountered  along  the  Arkansas  and  on 
the  old  Santa  Fe  Trail.  They  fought  with  all  sur- 

[36] 


THE  INDIANS  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

rounding  tribes,  and  made  no  steadfast  alliances. 
During  many  years  they  were  the  terror  of  those 
traders  who  were  obliged  to  traverse  their  country 
or  to  skirt  its  borders.  In  earlier  years  of  explora- 
tion they  held  friendly  relations  with  the  Spaniards, 
and  exhibited  great  hostility  to  American  advance. 
The  fur-traders  never  built  a  permanent  post  in 
their  country,  but  met  and  traded  with  them  at 
Council  Bluffs. 

The  Indians  of  the  Missouri  Valley 

Along  the  lower  valley  of  the  Missouri  were 
found  the  Poncas,  the  Omahas,  the  Kansas,  and  the 
Osages.  These  were  at  one  time  a  single  nation 
dwelling  in  the  Ohio  Valley  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Wabash.  The  cause  of  separation  is  unknown,  but 
on  coming  West  the  Osages  and  Kansas  settled  in 
the  valleys  of  the  streams  now  bearing  their  names, 
while  the  others  pressed  on,  the  Omahas  halting 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Missouri  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Platte,  and  the  Poncas  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Niobrara.  At  the  coming  of  the  first  white  traders 
the  latter  had  been  reduced  by  smallpox  and  war 
to  barely  two  hundred  souls,  and  the  Omahas 
scarcely  numbered  four  hundred.  The  Kansas  tribe 
numbered  one  thousand  five  hundred.  All  these 
people  were  friendly  to  the  whites,  and  figure  little 
in  the  romantic  history  of  the  Plains.  The  Osages 
were  the  most  important  of  the  four  divisions,  being 
the  first  Indians  of  the  prairies  to  open  a  regular 
trade  with  the  whites.  For  many  years  previous  to 

[37] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

1800  (exact  dates  unknown),  Pierre  Chouteau  had 
business  relations  in  their  villages,  and  at  that  time 
Manuel  Lisa  obtained  Spanish  permission  to  estab- 
lish a  permanent  trading-post  in  their  country.  The 
struggle  between  these  two  traders  divided  the  tribe. 
While  generally  friendly,  the  Osages  were  inclined 
to  organize  marauding  parties,  which  did  much 
injury  to  small  companies  passing  through  their 
neighborhood. 

As  previously  mentioned,  the  country  bordering 
the  South  Platte  was  the  home  of  the  Arapahoes, 
whose  headquarters  were  near  the  present  site  of  the 
city  of  Denver.  Here  these  Indians  conducted  a 
sort  of  fair,  exchanging  articles  procured  from  the 
Spanish  on  the  south  for  the  more  northern  furs. 
The  word  Arapahoe  is  said  to  mean  "  he  who  buys, 
or  trades."  Closely  associated  with  them  in  the 
earliest  days  of  white  exploration  were  the  Kiowas. 
Later,  during  the  struggle  for  possession,  a  yet 
stronger  alliance  was  made  by  this  latter  tribe  with 
the  Comanches.  For  many  years  the  Kiowa  war- 
riors roamed  freely  over  the  entire  Arapahoe  and 
Comanche  country,  extending  from  the  South  Platte 
to  the  Brazos.  Their  favorite  rendezvous  seems  to 
have  been  the  valley  of  the  Arkansas  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Purgatory  River.  The  Kiowas  were  little 
known  by  name  in  the  early  fur  trade,  but  prob- 
ably many  an  atrocity  charged  to  the  Comanches 
or  the  Arapahoes  was  really  committed  by  these 
wanderers.  A  late  authority  refers  to  them  as  being 
"the  most  predatory  and  bloodthirsty"  of  the 

[38] 


TYPES  OF  INDIAN  CHIEFS 


PAWNEE  TRIBE 
OMAHA  TRIBK 


OSAGE  TRIBE 
MANDAN  TRIBE 


THE  INDIANS  OF  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 


prairie  tribes;  and  adds,  :'They  have  probably 
killed  more  white  men  in  proportion  to  their  num- 
ber than  any  of  the  others." 

The  Comanches  resided  to  the  south  of  the  Ar- 
kansas River,  occupying  portions  of  what  is  now 
Oklahoma,  Texas,  and  New  Mexico.  They  were 
the  only  tribe  of  the  great  Shoshone  family  dwell- 
ing exclusively  upon  the  Plains.  In  the  fullest 
sense  they  were  a  wandering  people,  perhaps  the 
most  restless  of  all  American  tribes.  In  the  wide 
region  they  controlled,  it  is  impossible  to  name  any 
particular  spot  which  they  held  as  a  favorite  resi- 
dence. They  moved  north  and  south  according  to 
the  season,  but  otherwise  merely  as  fortune  dictated. 
The  wealth  of  the  Comanche,  and  the  centre  of  his 
interest,  was  the  horse.  The  tribe  were  probably 
the  most  expert  riders  of  the  Western  Plains,  being 
trained  from  infancy.  Their  remarkable  skill  in 
the  handling  of  horses  was  the  wonder  of  all  who 
witnessed  it.  They  marked  their  animals  with  a 
peculiar  slit  in  the  ear,  and  neither  love  nor  money 
could  induce  them  to  part  with  a  favorite  mount. 
In  personal  characteristics  they  resembled  their 
neighbors  to  the  north,  the  Arapahoes,  but,  owing 
to  the  southern  climate,  they  wore  less  clothing. 
One  peculiarity  was  that  they  did  not  greatly  care 
for  liquor.  From  the  first  they  were  a  dangerous 
tribe,  always  at  war  with  both  red  and  white.  For 
years  they  were  the  terror  of  the  Plains,  dreaded 
from  the  Arkansas  to  the  Rio  Grande  del  Norte. 
Every  inch  of  white  advance  through  their  country 

[39] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

had  to  be  fought  for,  and  they  made  the  Santa  Fe 
Trail  a  trail  of  blood. 

Such  were  the  inhabitants  of  the  Great  Plains 
when  the  pioneers  of  the  conquering  white  race  first 
ventured  to  set  foot  on  that  broad  domain  —  widely 
differing  tribes  of  Indians,  many  at  war  with  each 
other,  a  few  in  alliances  of  peace.  A  small  section 
was  held  as  neutral  ground,  possibly  the  southern 
portion  of  what  is  now  Kansas;  but  over  that 
roamed  hunting  parties  of  Pawnees,  Arapahoes, 
Kiowas,  and  Comanches,  the  fighting  tribes,  and 
wherever  they  met  there  was  battle  to  the  death. 
Magnificent  warriors  all  of  them,  superb  horsemen, 
loving  to  struggle  with  all  the  ferocity  of  wild  ani- 
mals. Jealous  of  their  hunting-grounds,  they  were 
as  one  in  their  desire  to  keep  back  white  invasion, 
and  in  the  clash  of  arms  they  turned  the  prairies 
red.  To  plainsmen  and  soldiers,  Spaniards  and 
Americans,  they  proved  foemen  worthy  of  their 
steel. 


[40] 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  FIRST  SPANIARDS 

Early  Spanish  Explorations 

THE  earliest  exploration  of  the  New  World, 
after  the  discovery  by  Columbus,  took  place 
to  the  south,  and  was  performed  by  soldiers  and 
adventurers  of  Spain.  It  was  most  natural  that  the 
shores  bordering  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  should  be  first 
invaded  from  the  West  Indies,  and  the  wealth  of 
Mexico  was  a  magnet  to  attract  the  invaders.  As  a 
result,  that  country  was  in  Spanish  hands  long  be- 
fore the  vast  region  now  known  as  the  United  States 
had  even  been  penetrated  by  explorers.  Expeditions 
bound  westward  had  here  and  there  touched  its 
shores,  much  of  the  coast-line  of  Florida  had  been 
traced,  and  De  Pineda  had  discovered  by  accident 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi;  but  the  vast  continent 
within  remained  unknown  and  mysterious. 

Cabeza  de  Vaca's  Travels  from  Florida  to  Mexico 

Eight  years  after  De  Pineda's  brief  pause  on  the 
Louisiana  coast,  and  in  the  year  1527,  only  thirty- 
five  years  after  Columbus  placed  foot  on  Cat  Island, 
the  first  Spaniard  penetrated  that  interior.  This 
man  was  Alvar  Nunez  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  the  treas- 
urer of  an  expedition  sent  from  Spain  for  the  ex- 
ploration of  Florida.  The  commander  of  his  com- 
pany was  Panfilo  de  Narvaez.  The  experience  of 

[41] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

these  explorers  was  frightful.  They  struggled 
across  Florida  from  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  Gulf. 
Here  they  built  rude  boats,  and  killed  their  horses 
for  food.  The  manes  and  tails  were  utilized  for 
ropes ;  stirrups  and  spurs  were  made  into  tools  and 
nails,  and  the  shirts  of  the  men  were  pieced  together 
for  sails.  Thus  equipped,  the  miserable  company 
put  to  sea.  Ignorant  of  their  position,  they  hoped 
to  reach  Mexico  and  the  Spanish  settlements. 
Skirting  the  shore,  they  had  just  passed  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi  when  a  severe  storm  wrecked 
their  five  boats,  and  only  fifteen  men  survived. 
These  were  cast  upon  an  island. 

Of  this  remnant  all  but  four  were  slain  by  the 
Indians.  The  survivors  were  made  prisoners,  and 
separated,  not  meeting  again  for  six  years.  Cabeza 
de  Vaca,  the  only  one  of  the  party  who  has  left  a 
record  of  these  events,  was  held  by  his  savage  mas- 
ters in  what  is  now  eastern  Texas  and  western  Louis- 
iana. His  treatment  was  that  of  a  slave,  although 
finally  he  was  permitted  to  act  as  a  medicine  man, 
and  even  trusted  to  conduct  trade.  On  one  of  these 
trading  journeys  he  travelled  as  far  north  as  the 
Red  River,  thus  penetrating  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance into  the  land  of  the  Great  Plains,  and  becom- 
ing the  first  white  man  to  behold  the  "  hunchbacked 
cows,"  as  the  early  Spanish  writers  termed  the  buf- 
faloes. At  some  point,  now  unknown,  but  certainly 
west  of  the  Sabine  River,  he  became  reunited  with 
his  three  surviving  companions.  These  were  Do- 
rantes,  Castillo  Maldonado,  and  a  negro  called 


THE   FIRST   SPANIARDS 

Stephen.  The  four  succeeded  in  escaping  together 
from  their  savage  captors,  and  made  their  way 
slowly  westward  through  the  regions  of  various 
tribes,  finding  safety  by  pretending  to  be  medicine 
men.  Their  hope  was  to  reach  the  Spanish  settle- 
ment in  Mexico ;  but  historians  differ  widely  as  to 
the  route  followed  in  their  long  wanderings.  Some 
contend  that  the  four  strayed  as  far  north  as  the 
Arkansas,  but  it  seems  far  more  probable  that  their 
journey  was  over  the  southern  Plains,  crossing  the 
Rio  Pecos  not  far  above  its  junction  with  the  Rio 
Grande.  De  Vaca  wrote  an  account  of  his  expe- 
riences, and,  without  doubt,  his  little  party  were  the 
first  whites  to  traverse  the  Great  Plains  and  gaze 
upon  the  towering  Rockies.  His  description  of  the 
buffalo  is  quaintly  interesting. 

De  Vaca's  Description  of  the  Buffalo 

"Cattle  come  as  far  as  this.  I  have  seen  them  three  times 
and  eaten  of  their  meat.  I  think  they  are  about  the  size  of 
those  of  Spain.  They  have  small  horns,  like  the  cows  of  Moroc- 
co, and  the  hair  very  long  and  flocky,  like  that  of  the  Merino; 
some  are  light  brown,  others  black.  To  my  judgment  the  flesh 
is  finer  and  fatter  than  that  of  this  country.  The  Indians  make 
blankets  of  the  hides  of  those  not  full  grown.  They  range  over 
a  district  of  more  than  four  hundred  leagues,  and  in  the  whole 
extent  of  plain  over  which  they  run  the  people  that  inhabit  near 
there  descend  and  live  on  them,  and  scatter  a  vast  many  skins 
throughout  the  country." 

Turning  southward,  De  Vaca  and  his  compan- 
ions finally  reached  Culiacan  in  Sinaloa,  the  more 
northern  Spanish  outpost,  in  May,  1536.  Their 

[43] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

wanderings  through  the  wilderness  had  taken  them 
over  two  thousand  miles. 

De   Soto's  Expedition  and   Death 

De  Vaca,  who  was  a  small  man,  possessed  a 
large  imagination  and  a  garrulous  tongue.  His  de- 
scription of  the  wondrous  region  traversed,  and  the 
marvellous  stories  told  him  by  Indians  during  cap- 
tivity, aroused  the  adventurous  spirits  of  two  worlds. 
Both  Spain  and  Mexico  organized  expeditions  for 
exploration  and  conquest.  These  were  so  nearly  of 
a  date,  and  came  so  close  to  overlapping  each  other 
in  the  wilderness,  that  it  is  difficult  to  choose  which 
should  be  first  described.  To  most  readers  that 
commanded  by  Fernando  de  Soto  will  appeal  as  the 
more  important.  De  Soto  sailed  from  Spain,  April 
6,  J538,  with  an  armament  of  ten  vessels,  and  a 
splendidly  equipped  army  of  nine  hundred  men. 
Landing  in  Florida,  they  fought  a  bloody  passage 
across  Georgia  and  Alabama,  and  westward  to  the 
Mississippi  River.  This  stream,  now  first  seen 
above  its  mouth  by  white  men,  was  crossed  at  Chick- 
asaw  Bluff.  From  here  the  little  army,  now  sadly 
decimated  and  in  desperate  plight,  marched  north- 
ward to  Little  Prairie,  always  encouraged  to  per- 
severe by  vague  tales  of  gold,  ever  the  object  of  the 
Spaniard.  From  this  point  the  commander  de- 
spatched numerousexpeditions,oneof  which  attained 
to  the  open  prairies.  Another  must  have  nearly 
reached  the  Missouri  River,  although  De  Soto 
learned  nothing  as  to  its  whereabouts.  At  this  time, 

[44] 


THE   FIRST   SPANIARDS 

during  the  Summer  of  1541,  some  of  De  Soto's  fol- 
lowers may  have  been  very  close  to  that  other  force 
of  Spanish  adventures  which,  under  Coronado, 
was  then  advancing  from  the  west.  Indeed,  the  lat- 
ter learned  of  the  presence  of  mysterious  white  men 
in  his  front,  and  despatched  a  messenger  seeking 
them,  but  the  man  failed  in  his  effort.  "  Thus,"  as 
Ripley  Hitchcock  says,  "  in  the  first  half  of  the  six- 
teenth century  two  Spaniards,  one  starting  from 
Tampa  Bay  in  Florida,  and  the  other  from  the 
Gulf  of  California,  practically  completed  a  journey 
across  the  continent." 

Disappointed,  and  constantly  harassed  by  In- 
dians, De  Soto  turned  southward,  and  passed  a 
bitter  winter  on  the  Washita.  In  May,  1542,  the  in- 
trepid leader  died  near  the  mouth  of  Red  River,  and 
his  body  was  buried  secretly,  beneath  the  night 
shades,  under  the  waters  of  the  vast  stream  he  had 
discovered  cleaving  the  wilderness. 

Wanderings  of  the  Survivors 

Luis  de  Moscoco  became  the  commander  of  the 
miserable  remnant.  Hoping  thus  to  reach  their 
countrymen  in  New  Spain,  and  possibly  having 
some  vague  knowledge  of  CoronaoVs  presence  in 
the  neighborhood,  the  survivors  started  westward. 
Where  they  went  is  not  altogether  clear,  but  it  is 
believed  they  penetrated  the  country  of  the  Plains  to 
so  great  a  distance  as  to  perceive  the  western  moun- 
tains. The  historian  of  that  journey  says : 

"The  entire  route  became  a  trail   of  fire  and  blood.     The 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

savages  of  the  Plains  were  of  gigantic  stature,  and  fought  with 
heavy,  strong  clubs,  with  the  desperation  of  demons.  Such  was 
their  tremendous  strength  that  one  of  these  warriors  was  a  match 
for  a  Spanish  soldier,  though  mounted  on  a  horse,  armed  with 
a  sword,  and  cased  in  armor." 

De  Moscoco  and  his  men  passed  six  months  of 
terrible  hardship  in  this  region,  but,  if  his  object 
was  the  finding  of  Coronado's  party,  he  failed.  The 
probability  is  his  course  was  too  far  to  the  south, 
for  Coronado  at  this  time  was  in  camp  near  the  pres- 
ent location  of  Wichita,  Kansas,  or,  according  to  his 
chronicler,  "at  the  junction  of  the  St.  Peter  and  St. 
Paul,"  now  the  Big  and  Little  Arkansas.  Finally 
discouraged,  the  little  band  retraced  their  steps  to 
the  Mississippi,  where  they  built  boats,  and  floated 
down  to  the  Gulf.  In  September,  1543,  the  miser- 
able remnant  reached  safety  at  Tampico. 

Coronado's  Search  for  the  Seven  Golden  Cities 

At  almost  the  identical  time  that  De  Soto  began 
his  struggles  westward  from  Florida,  another  Span- 
ish officer,  Coronado,  Governor  of  New  Galicia, 
was  leading  his- soldiers  eastward  from  the  coast  of 
the  Pacific.  The  story  of  De  Vaca  about  the  fabu- 
lous seven  golden  cities  of  Cibola,  filled  with  treas- 
ure, had  aroused  a  spirit  of  adventure  among  the 
Spaniards  of  Mexico.  As  early  as  1539  Fray  Mar- 
cos de  Nizza  left  Sinaloa,  taking  with  him  as  guide 
the  negro  Stephen  who  had  been  De  Vaca's  com- 
panion. The  negro  lost  his  life  on  the  trip,  but  his 
white  comrade  returned,  and  his  report  served  only 

[46] 


CABECA    DE  VACA   AND   HIS  COMPANIONS 


THE   FIRST  SPANIARDS 

to  increase  the  excitement.  Determined  to  discover 
the  truth  and  unearth  the  mysterious  treasure,  Men- 
doza,  Viceroy  of  Mexico,  organized  an  expedition, 
and  gave  the  command  to  Francisco  Vasquez  Coro- 
nado.  It  was  a  well  equipped  and  ably  officered 
body  of  men.  This  company  started  north  from  the 
shores  of  the  Gulf  of  California  in  1540,  and,  after 
much  hardship  and  some  fighting,  captured  the 
Zuni  villages  where  the  negro  Stephen  had  been 
killed,  and  finally  wintered  in  New  Mexico.  While 
encamped  here,  Coronado  heard  a  legend  of  Qui- 
vira,  a  wonderful  city  of  gold  situated  somewhere  to 
the  northeast.  Lured  by  this  mirage,  as  soon  as  the 
spring  permitted,  he  pressed  forward  into  the  Great 
Plains  of  Texas,  travelling  in  a  wide  arc  to  the 
north.  Of  this  journey  one  of  his  soldiers,  Pedro 
Castaneda,  has  written  a  detailed  report.  Some  of 
his  pictures  of  those  strange  scenes  through  which 
they  passed  are  extremely  vivid. 

Castaneda's  Description  of  the  Buffalo 

"From  Cieuye  they  went  to  Quivira,  which,  after  their  ac- 
count, is  almost  three  hundred  leagues  distant,  through  mighty 
plains  and  sandy  heaths  so  smooth  and  wearisome  and  bare  of 
wood,  that  they  made  heaps  of  ox-dung,  for  want  of  stones  and 
trees,  that  they  might  not  lose  themselves  on  their  return;  for 
three  horses  were  lost  on  that  plain,  and  one  Spaniard  which 
went  from  his  company  on  hunting.  .  .  .  All  that  way  of 
plains  are  as  full  of  crooked-back  oxen  as  the  mountain  Serrena 
in  Spain  is  of  sheep,  but  there  is  no  such  people  as  keep  those 
cattle.  .  .  .  They  were  a  great  succour  for  the  hunger  and 
the  want  of  bread,  which  our  party  stood  in  need  of.  ... 
One  day  it  rained  in  that  plain,  a  great  shower  of  hail  as  big 

[47] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

as  oranges,  which  caused  many  tears,  weakness,  and  bowes. . . . 
These  oxen  are  of  the  bigness  and  color  of  our  bulls,  but  their 
bones  are  not  so  great.  They  have  a  great  bunch  upon  their 
foreshoulder  and  more  hair  on  their  fore-part  than  on  their 
hinder-part  and  it  is  like  wool.  They  have  as  it  were  a  horse- 
mane  upon  their  backbone  and  much  hair  and  very  long  from 
their  knees  downward.  They  have  great  tufts  of  hair  hanging 
down  on  their  foreheads  and  it  seemeth  they  have  beards  be- 
cause of  the  great  store  of  hair  hanging  down  at  their  chins  and 
throats.  The  males  have  very  long  tails  and  a  great  knob  or 
flock  at  the  end,  so  that  in  some  respects  they  resemble  the  lion, 
and  in  some  other  the  camel.  They  push  with  their  horns,  they 
run,  they  overtake  and  kill  a  horse  when  they  are  in  their  rage 
and  anger.  Finally  it  is  a  foul  and  fierce  beast,  of  countenance 
and  form  of  body.  The  horses  fled  from  them,  either  because 
of  their  deformed  shape,  or  else  because  they  had  never  seen 
them  before.  .  .  .  The  number  was  incredible.  .  .  . 
The  soldiers  chasing  them,  they  rushed  together  in  such  masses 
that  hundreds  were  crushed  to  death." 

At  one  place  there  was  a  great  ravine,  into 
which  the  animals  plunged  in  terror,  and  the  de- 
pression was  completely  filled  up  with  their  bodies, 
so  that  the  living  crossed  upon  the  bridge  thus 
formed  of  the  dead. 

The  exact  route  followed  by  Coronado  and  his 
men  can  never  be  known,  for,  in  spite  of  Castaneda's 
detailed  description,  there  is  such  a  sameness  in  the 
Plains  country  that  prominent  landmarks  are  diffi- 
cult to  find.  Undoubtedly,  however,  the  little  band 
of  adventurers  found  their  way  across  the  desert  of 
the  Staked  Plains  from  about  where  Albuquerque, 
New  Mexico,  now  stands,  then  the  Indian  village 
of  Tiguex,  to  the  upper  waters  of  the  Colorado. 
They  were  at  this  time  in  the  country  of  the  wild- 

[48] 


THE   FIRST   SPANIARDS 

riding  Comanches,  to  whom  they  gave  the  name 
Querechos.  This  advance  also  brought  them  into 
the  heart  of  the  buffalo  region,  and  they  saw  huge 
herds  covering  the  Plains  as  far  as  the  eye  would 
carry.  From  here  they  turned  their  course  north 
and  slightly  east,  crossing  the  Brazos,  the  Red,  and 
Canadian  Rivers,  until  they  attained  the  banks  of 
the  Arkansas,  probably  near  the  present  site  of 
Wichita.  The  company  camped  here  for  several 
months,  a  considerable  contingent  returning  south; 
but  finally  Coronado,  with  the  small  party  left  him, 
pressed  resolutely  forward  into  northeastern  Kansas. 
His  highest  mark  north  is  generally  believed  to  be 
the  line  separating  that  State  from  Nebraska.  Here 
he  discovered  a  tribe  of  Indians  called  the  Quiviras, 
but  they  had  no  gold,  and  knew  of  none.  Dis- 
couraged, the  Spaniards,  after  a  halt  of  twenty-five 
days,  were  forced  to  turn  back  empty-handed.  On 
this  return  march  a  more  direct  route  was  followed, 
southwest  through  the  Cimarron  Desert,  until  the 
weary  wanderers  arrived  once  more  at  the  welcome 
village  of  Tiguex.  Here,  under  date  of  October  20, 
1541,  Coronado  wrote  his  report  of  the  expedition. 

Padilla's   Mission  to   the   Quiviras 

A  journey  into  the  Plains  far  longer  and  more 
perilous  immediately  followed  his  return.  With 
Coronado  was  a  brave  priest,  Fray  Juan  de  Padilla. 
Impressed  by  the  needs  of  the  savages  of  the  Quivi- 
ras tribe  he  voluntarily  returned  to  minister  unto 
them.  He  was  accompanied  by  one  soldier,  Andres 

[49] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

Docampo,  and  two  boys,  Lucas  and  Sebastian.  An- 
other priest,  Fray  Juan  de  la  Cruz,  was  in  some 
way  also  associated  with  this  mission.  They  reached 
in  safety  the  region  sought,  and  later  went  even 
farther  north,  seeking  the  country  of  the  Grand 
Quivira.  After  travelling  several  days  they  came 
to  a  large  settlement.  This  was  probably  in  the 
valley  of  the  Platte,  and  not  far  from  the  present 
situation  of  Columbus,  Nebraska.  The  Indians 
coming  out  prepared  for  battle,  the  priest  De 
Padilla  bade  his  attendants  withdraw  while  he  went 
forward  to  meet  them  alone.  From  the  bluffs  they 
witnessed  all  that  happened  to  the  friar.  Await- 
ing the  coming  of  the  savages  upon  his  knees  in 
prayer,  the  priest  was  instantly  put  to  death.  Fray 
de  la  Cruz  was  also  killed  later,  but  Docampo  and 
the  boys  succeeded  in  escaping,  wandering  over  the 
Plains  through  nine  terrible  years  of  suffering,  be- 
fore finally  reaching  the  Spanish  settlements  in 
Mexico.  Their  journeying  as  prisoners  and  fugi- 
tives must  have  covered  thousands  of  miles  all  over 
the  Plains  country,  but  no  records  relating  to  it  have 
been  preserved. 

Spanish  Attempt  to  Settle  on  the  Upper  Mississippi 

Beyond  doubt  in  the  lapse  of  time  intervening 
between  this  adventure  of  Coronado  and  the  next 
expedition  of  record  across  the  Plains,  individual 
Spaniards — hunters,  priests,  or  soldiers — must  have 
penetrated  into  this  region  of  mystery.  But  if  so, 
no  writing  remains  to  tell  us  what  befell  them.  So 

[50] 


THE   FIRST   SPANIARDS 

far  as  history  is  concerned,  the  Great  Plains  re- 
mained hidden  in  their  savagery  from  1541  until 
1716,  when  the  Spaniards,  then  permanently  estab- 
lished at  Santa  Fe,  despatched  an  expedition  east- 
ward "  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  military 
post  in  the  upper  Mississippi  Valley  as  a  barrier  to 
the  further  encroachments  of  the  French  in  that  di- 
rection." This  party  was  composed  of  about  fifteen 
hundred  people,  soldiers,  with  settlers  male  and  fe- 
male, and  a  Jacobin  for  a  chaplain.  They  had  with 
them  a  great  number  of  horses  and  cattle,  and  ad- 
vanced slowly,  their  route  being  nearly  that  of  the 
later  famous  Santa  Fe  Trail.  So  far  as  can  be  un- 
derstood, one  purpose  of  the  expedition  was  to  de- 
stroy an  Indian  tribe  called  the  Missouris,  and  to 
seize  upon  their  country.  In  this  they  counted  upon 
another  tribe,  the  Osages,  as  allies.  Through  some 
mistake  the  Spanish  commander,  believing  himself 
in  council  with  the  latter,  unfortunately  revealed 
his  plans  to  the  very  Indians  he  had  come  to  de- 
stroy. The  result  was  a  trap  into  which  the  Span- 
iards walked  unsuspectingly.  Even  while  both  par- 
ties were  celebrating  this  new  alliance  two  thousand 
armed  warriors  fell  upon  the  whites,  and  in  less 
than  fifteen  minutes  had  killed  them  all.  No  one 
escaped  excepting  the  chaplain,  whose  peculiar  cos- 
tume attracted  the  Indians'  curiosity.  Fortunate 
for  him,  also,  was  the  fact  that  to  the  Missouris 
the  horse  was  then  comparatively  unknown.  Igno- 
rant of  how  to  ride  they  compelled  the  priest  to 
mount,  and  instruct  them  in  horsemanship.  He 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

was  kept  at  this  for  several  months,  yet  none  of  his 
captors  developed  sufficient  courage  to  emulate  his 
example.  Finally  the  Jacobin  determined  to  escape. 
Waiting  until  he  was  mounted  on  the  swiftest 
horse,  he  suddenly  rode  away  and  disappeared, 
making  his  way  back  to  Mexico  safe.  This  oc- 
curred not  far  from  the  present  site  of  Leaven- 
worth. 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  FRENCH  EXPLORERS 

Spanish  Missions  Established 

IN  THE  closing  years  of  the  seventeenth  and  the 
opening  years  of  the  eighteenth  century  Spain 
did  little  toward  exercising  control  over  this  vast 
region  which  had  been  explored  by  her  daring  ad- 
venturers. Established  in  some  power  at  Santa  Fe 
since  about  1609,  her  pioneers  were  so  harassed  by 
the  surrounding  Indians  that  they  had  small  oppor- 
tunity or  inclination  for  any  further  advance.  How- 
ever, the  missionaries  of  the  Church  circulated 
widely  among  the  tribes  of  the  Plains,  and  exercised 
considerable  influence.  Permanent  missions  were 
established  in  various  localities,  and  along  the  east- 
ern slope  of  the  Rockies  some  of  these  were  sup- 
ported by  military  garrisons;  and  Spanish  traders 
are  known  to  have  penetrated  as  far  north  as  the 
Arapahoe  and  Pawnee  villages. 

The  French  Explorers 

Meanwhile  the  French,  now  firmly  established 
about  the  Great  Lakes  and  along  the  Mississippi, 
were  reaching  out  westward  in  undisciplined  ex- 
ploration. Three  purposes  may  be  said  to  have 
controlled  their  efforts, —  a  desire  to  possess  this  land 
in  advance  of  Spain;  the  insistent  demands  of  the 
widening  fur  trade;  and  an  ambition  to  discover 

[53] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

some  practicable  route  to  the  Pacific.  As  early  as 
1704,  Bienville  reported  that  over  one  hundred 
Canadians  were  already  scattered  along  the  Missis- 
sippi and  Missouri  Rivers.  In  1705  one  of  these, 
named  Laurain,  claimed  to  have  ascended  the  lat- 
ter stream  for  a  considerable  distance;  in  1719  Du 
Tisuc  was  certainly  above  Grand  River,  and  a  little 
later  reached  the  village  of  the  Osage  Indians. 
Here  he  found  difficulty  in  proceeding,  but  finally 
pushed  on  across  the  prairies  to  the  encampment  of 
the  Pawnees.  Their  hostility  compelled  him  to  re- 
tire. 

The  earlier  and  more  persistent  advance  of  the 
French  was  from  the  garrisons  of  Louisiana  on  to 
the  prairies  of  Texas.  In  1714  Saint-Denis  was 
sent  by  La  Mothe  Cadillac  up  Red  River,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  a  point  about  sixty-eight  leagues 
above  Natchitoches.  The  following  year  he  struck 
across  the  Plains  toward  the  Spanish  settlements, 
but  was  captured  near  the  Rio  Grande,  and  taken 
as  a  prisoner  to  Mexico.  He  was  well  treated, 
married  a  Spanish  girl,  and,  after  his  release,  at- 
tempted a  second  trip  into  the  same  country.  This 
proved  even  more  disastrous  than  his  first,  and  the 
adventurer  barely  escaped  with  his  life. 

The  Expedition  of  De  la  Harpe 

In  March,  1719,  Benard  de  la  Harpe  led  a 
more  important  exploring  expedition  from  the  fron- 
tier post  at  Natchitoches  westward  into  the  prairie 
country.  He  had  with  him  a  sergeant  and  six 

[541 


THE   FRENCH  EXPLORERS 

privates.  Their  advance  was  up  the  Red  River  in 
canoes,  but  was  soon  brought  to  a  halt  by  encounter- 
ing that  entanglement  of  driftwood,  since  known  as 
the  Red  River  raft,  which  completely  choked  the 
stream  and  forced  them  to  take  to  the  jungle.  Nev- 
ertheless they  pushed  resolutely  forward,  dragging 
their  canoes,  until  they  again  attained  navigable 
water.  At  the  end  of  a  month  of  incessant  labor 
they  reached  an  Indian  village  about  one  hundred 
and  eight  leagues  from  the  French  post.  After 
halting  here  for  some  time  to  rest  and  to  build  a 
trading-post,  La  Harpe,  accompanied  by  ten  men, 
white,  red,  and  black,  started  forward  again  on  foot 
to  explore  the  country.  He  advanced  to  the  north- 
west across  hills,  through  forests,  and  over  prairies, 
forded  two  branches  of  the  Wichita,  and,  early  in 
September,  found  himself  on  the  banks  of  the  Ar- 
kansas. Here  he  encountered  a  large  number  of 
Indians,  probably  Comanches,  who  were  in  direct 
trade  with  the  Spaniards,  and  who  informed  him  he 
could  reach  their  country  by  ascending  the  river. 
Not  being  equipped  for  so  long  a  journey  La  Harpe 
reluctantly  returned  to  the  fort  on  Red  River.  Two 
years  later  he  attempted  to  explore  the  Arkansas 
by  means  of  canoes,  but  accomplished  little. 

The  Spanish  expedition  to  the  Missouri  in  1721, 
already  described,  resulted  in  a  corresponding  ad- 
vance of  the  French  from  the  Illinois  country. 
Bourgmont  was  the  commander  of  the  party  which 
was  despatched  westward,  his  main  object  being 
trade  with  both  Indians  and  Spaniards,  and  the 

[55] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

establishment  of  peace  with  the  Comanches.  On  the 
Missouri  River,  not  far  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Grand,  he  erected  a  trading-post  of  logs  which  was 
named  Fort  Orleans,  and  then  started  forth  to 
march  overland  to  the  Comanche  villages.  He  had 
with  him  Ensign  Saint-Ange  and  a  number  of  sol- 
diers and  Canadians,  about  twenty  altogether,  with 
a  hundred  and  nine  Missouri  and  sixty-eight  Osage 
Indians.  The  party  advanced  slowly  over  a  region 
which  Bourgmont  described  as  "  a  fine  prairie  coun- 
try, with  hills  and  dales,  and  clumps  of  trees  to 
right  and  left."  At  the  end  of  the  sixth  day  of 
marching  they  reached  the  Kansas  River,  but  here 
the  leader  was  taken  so  severely  ill  that  the  expedi- 
tion had  to  be  abandoned.  However,  a  soldier 
named  Gaillard,  volunteering  for  the  service,  was 
sent  forward  to  the  Comanche  villages  with  a 
French  message.  It  was  an  exceedingly  perilous 
mission,  but  proved  successful.  The  following  Sep- 
tember Bourgmont  again  departed  westward  on  his 
mission  of  peace.  This  time  he  was  accompanied 
by  his  young  son,  a  surgeon,  and  nine  soldiers. 
Reaching  the  village  of  the  Kansas  Indians  he 
found  there  several  Comanche  warriors  whom  Gail- 
lard  had  persuaded  to  meet  him  on  the  way.  Here 
a  great  council  was  held,  in  which  the  Kansas,  Mis- 
souris,  lowas,  and  Otoes  were  all  represented.  Oc- 
tober eighth  all  these,  together  with  some  Omahas, 
joined  in  the  march  of  the  white  men  westward. 
Gaillard  and  a  companion  named  Quesnel  were 
despatched  in  advance  on  swift  horses,  while  Bourg- 

[56] 


THE   FRENCH   EXPLORERS 

mont  and  his  cavalcade  of  savage  followers  moved 
more  slowly  up  the  north  bank  of  the  Kansas  River. 
It  must  have  been  an  imposing  spectacle.  On  the 
eleventh  they  forded  the  river  about  twenty  leagues 
from  its  mouth,  and  struck  out  toward  the  south- 
west; in  Parkman's  words, — 

"sometimes  threading  the  grassy  valleys  of  little  streams,  some- 
times crossing  the  dry  upland  prairie,  covered  with  the  short, 
tufted,  dull-green  herbage  since  known  as  '  buffalo  grass.'  Wild 
turkeys  clamored  along  every  water-course,  deer  were  seen  on 
all  sides,  buffalo  wrere  without  number,  sometimes  in  grazing 
droves,  and  sometimes  dotting  the  endless  plain  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach.  Ruffian  wolves,  white  and  gray,  eyed  the  travellers 
askance,  keeping  a  safe  distance  by  day,  and  howling  about  the 
camp  all  night." 

Not  until  the  eighteenth  did  they  meet  the 
Comanches,  when  the  two  couriers  dashed  suddenly 
into  camp  at  the  head  of  eighty  warriors.  Then  all 
advanced  together  to  the  Comanche  village,  which 
was  situated  about  three  leagues  distant.  This  spot 
was  probably  a  little  north  of  the  Arkansas  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Great  Bend.  Several  days 
were  spent  here  in  feasting  and  making  presents, 
after  which,  a  satisfactory  treaty  of  peace  having 
been  agreed  upon,  the  whites  took  up  their  return 
journey  to  Fort  Orleans. 

No  further  explorations,  or  advance  into  the 
Great  Plains  were  made  by  the  French  for  fifteen 
years.  In  the  meantime,  however,  their  traders  had 
pushed  up  the  Missouri  as  far  as  the  Mandan  vil- 
lages, but  halted  there  under  the  impression  that  the 
river  beyond  swerved  to  the  south  into  the  Spanish 

[57] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

possessions  of  New  Mexico.  Two  brothers  named 
Mallet,  with  six  companions,  finally  penetrated  the 
wide  stretch  of  country  lying  between.  These  men 
pressed  up  the  Platte  to  its  South  Fork;  then,  after 
following  the  latter  stream  for  some  distance,  turned 
directly  south  across  the  plains  of  Colorado.  Here 
they  found  no  wood,  but  were  compelled  to  build 
their  camp-fires  from  the  dried  dung  of  the  buffalo. 
They  crossed  the  upper  Arkansas,  forded  the  Cim- 
maron,  and,  without  special  adventure,  reached  the 
Spanish  town  of  Santa  Fe  in  July,  1739.  The  next 
Spring  they  started  on  their  return,  three  of  the 
party  crossing  the  Plains  to  the  Pawnee  villages,  the 
others  descending  the  Arkansas.  This  adventure  led 
to  others,  but,  so  far  as  known,  none  of  them  met 
with  success. 

Explorations  by  De  la  Verendrye,  and  by  His  Two  Sons 

Meanwhile  other  efforts  were  being  made  far  to 
the  north  to  unveil  the  mystery  of  this  region ;  and 
while  much  of  exploration  takes  place  beyond  the 
Plains,  it  is  intimately  connected  with  our  present 
study,  and  cannot  be  ignored,  particularly  as  it  ex- 
tended far  to  the  south  and  west  of  the  Missouri. 
From  the  year  1700  the  French  had  made  strenuous 
efforts  to  press  their  explorations  westward  through 
the  country  of  the  Sioux  Indians  in  Minnesota  and 
the  Dakotas.  Owing  to  the  never  ceasing  hostility 
of  these  savages  they  had  met  with  small  success. 
In  1728  Pierre  Gaultier  de  Varennes  de  la  Veren- 
drye, commanding  a  small  post  north  of  Lake  Supe- 

[58] 


THE   FRENCH   EXPLORERS 

rior,  determined  on  an  endeavor  to  penetrate  west- 
ward farther  to  the  north,  through  the  country  of 
the  Assiniboines,  in  search  of  the  Western  Sea.  He 
found  aid  for  his  scheme  in  the  Governor,  Beau- 
harnais,  who  took  great  interest  in  it;  but  the  King 
would  advance  no  money.  All  he  would  consent  to 
do  was  to  authorize  De  la  Verendrye  to  proceed,  at 
his  own  expense,  pledging  him  as  reward  for  his 
effort  a  future  monopoly  of  the  fur  trade  in  the  re- 
gions thus  discovered.  This,  necessitating  the 
building  of  a  chain  of  forts  throughout  that  north- 
ern wilderness,  greatly  delayed  the  exploration,  and 
it  was  not  until  1738  that  the  French  leader  made 
any  definite  advance.  Accompanied  by  twenty  men 
he  pushed  up  the  Assiniboine  River  until  the  shal- 
lows halted  his  canoes.  Then,  with  some  Indian 
guides,  the  little  party  struck  out  directly  across  the 
open  prairies,  until  they  reached  the  villages  of  the 
Mandans  on  the  Missouri,  about  where  Bismarck 
now  stands.  Hampered  by  the  loss  of  the  bag  con- 
taining presents  for  the  savages,  and  the  desertion 
of  his  interpreter,  De  la  Verendrye  accomplished 
little  of  value.  The  Mandans  knew  of  the  Span- 
iards to  the  southward,  but  none  of  that  race  had 
ever  visited  them.  At  this  time  the  tribe  possessed 
six  large  villages,  the  smallest  containing  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  houses.  Between  this  date  and  the 
visit  by  Lewis  and  Clark  in  1804,  smallpox  had  re- 
duced them  to  two  villages  and  three  hundred  and 
fifty  warriors.  Himself  very  ill,  De  la  Verendrye 
left  two  of  his  men  with  the  Mandans,  to  learn  their 

[59] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

language,  and  returned  with  the  others  to  Fort  La 
Reine,  where  he  arrived  February  n,  1739. 

The  effort  at  further  exploration  was  taken  up 
by  the  two  sons  of  De  la  Verendrye  in  1742.  Mak- 
ing their  way  to  the  Mandans  and  taking  some  of 
those  Indians  for  guides,  they  advanced  west  and 
south,  over  the  prairies  and  across  the  "bad  lands." 
In  irregular  course,  owing  to  the  peculiarity  of  the 
country  traversed,  the  bold  explorers  journeyed  be- 
yond the  Black  Hills,  and  westward  into  Montana 
until  they  arrived  amid  the  foot-hills  of  the  Big 
Horn  Range  of  the  Rockies  in  Wyoming.  It  was 
in  January,  1743,  that  white  men  first  gazed  upon 
these  northern  peaks.  Both  going  and  returning  the 
De  la  Verendryes  met  various  wandering  tribes  of 
Indians,  mostly  of  the  great  Sioux  family,  yet  they 
experienced  no  serious  opposition.  It  was  in  July 
when  the  party  returned  to  Fort  La  Reine,  with 
much  of  interest  to  report;  but  a  way  to  the  Pacific 
was  yet  undiscovered.  This  effort,  the  last  seriously 
attempted,  marks  the  farthest  west  achieved  by 
French  adventure. 


[60] 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  EXPEDITION  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARK 

The  Two-Fold  Object  of  the  Expedition 

IN  THE  interim  between  the  return  of  the  De  la 
Verendryes  and  the  transfer  of  all  this  great 
Western  country  to  the  United  States,  no  organized 
effort  at  exploration  is  matter  of  record.  Individual 
fur-traders,  both  French  and  American,  certainly 
continued  to  penetrate  the  country  as  far  as  the 
Mandan  villages,  and  possibly  even  to  the  moun- 
tains, while  many  of  the  prairie  streams  were  fol- 
lowed by  adventurous  trappers  in  their  search  after 
beaver.  Yet  practically  the  country  remained  un- 
known, a  vast  untracked  wilderness,  scarcely  pressed 
by  adventurous  white  feet. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  November,  1803,  Louisiana 
was  formally  transferred  by  the  French  commis- 
sioners to  the  United  States.  The  cost  approximated 
$15,000,000,  and  the  full  extent  of  territory  involved 
was  still  a  matter  of  doubt.  One  of  the  first  acts  of 
President  Jefferson,  following  this  consummation, 
was  the  organization  of  a  Government  expedition 
to  determine  the  nature  of  the  purchase  and  discover 
a  route  through  the  wilderness  to  the  far-off  Pa- 
cific. Up  to  that  time  little  was  known  excepting 

[61] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

the  vague  tales  of  Indians  and  illiterate  trappers. 
As  a  preliminary  during  the  winter  following  this 
acquisition  of  territory,  brief  explorations  were 
made  along  the  Red  and  Washita  Rivers,  and  May 
14,  1804,  a  carefully  organized  expedition  started 
overland  for  the  Pacific.  Two  men  were  associated 
as  joint  leaders,  and,  so  far  as  known,  worked  in 
complete  harmony.  These  were  Captains  Meri- 
wether  Lewis  and  William  Clark.  Both  were  men 
of  proved  courage,  ability,  and  long  frontier  train- 
ing. Their  instructions  allowed  them  great  lati- 
tude, and  involved  careful  study  of  the  Indian  tribes 
and  the  nature  of  the  country  traversed. 

Preparations  and  Outset 

The  Winter  of  1803-1804  was  passed  in  the 
neighborhood  of  St.  Louis  in  preparation  for  the 
advance  in  the  Spring.  Particular  attention  was 
paid  to  the  personnel  of  the  little  party,  the  men 
being  carefully  chosen  for  the  task  to  be  accom- 
plished. Fourteen  soldiers,  nine  frontiersmen,  two 
French  voyageurs,  and  a  negro  servant  made  up  the 
list.  In  addition  to  these  a  corporal,  together  with 
six  soldiers  and  nine  boatmen,  was  detailed  to  ac- 
company the  party  as  far  as  the  Mandan  villages, 
then  near  the  present  site  of  Bismarck,  North  Da- 
kota. Their  means  of  transportation  by  water  con- 
sisted of  a  keel  boat  fifty-five  feet  long,  drawing 
three  feet  of  water.  Decked  over  at  bow  and  stern, 
it  contained  forecastle  and  cabin,  the  space  between 
being  provided  with  lockers  that  could  be  raised  to 

[62] 


EXPEDITION  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARK 

form  breastworks  in  case  of  attack.  This  boat  had 
a  sail  and  twenty-two  oars.  The  two  other  boats 
were  smaller  and  undecked,  the  one  having  seven, 
the  other  six  oars. 

While  this  expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clark  mere- 
ly skirted  the  Great  Plains,  its  direct  influence  was 
of  such  importance  that  the  story  merits  careful 
telling.  Leaving  their  winter  camp  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Du  Bois  River  on  May  14,  1804,  the  boats  be- 
gan their  slow  and  toilsome  advance  against  the 
strong,  yellow  current  of  the  Missouri.  Before  them 
was  a  journey  of  unknown  peril,  involving  some 
eight  thousand  miles  of  travel  upon  strange  waters, 
and  across  untracked  mountains  and  plains.  The 
early  part  of  the  voyage  was  uneventful,  as  it  was 
along  a  watery  highway  long  utilized  in  the  fur 
trade.  The  only  noteworthy  incidents  were  the  con- 
stant meetings  with  canoes  bound  for  St.  Louis, 
laden  with  furs.  It  was  June  26  when,  having  left 
the  State  of  Missouri,  they  made  camp  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Kansas  River.  Here  they  saw  their  first  buf- 
falo, and  looked  off  across  the  great  prairies.  At 
this  point  the  river-course  changed  to  the  northwest. 
As  they  pressed  forward,  skirting  the  Kansas  shore, 
they  made  such  careful  description  that  even  to-day 
nearly  every  camping-spot  can  be  identified.  By 
the  middle  of  July  they  were  between  what  are  now 
Iowa  and  Nebraska,  ever  toiling  ceaselessly  against 
the  sweep  of  the  current,  and  meeting  with  numer- 
ous adventures.  One  fierce  prairie  storm  was  en- 
countered, in  which  a  boat  narrowly  escaped  wreck, 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

and  there  was  much  sickness  among  the  men,  caused 
probably  by  drinking  the  muddy  river  water. 

Councils  with  the  Pawnees  and  the  Sioux 

July  21,  they  passed  the  wide  shallow  mouth  of 
the  Platte,  meeting  difficulties  of  navigation  amid 
the  sand  bars,  and  being  greatly  disturbed  in  their 
night  camp  by  the  ceaseless  howling  of  wolves.  Ten 
miles  above  they  went  ashore,  and  despatched  mes- 
sengers to  the  villages  of  the  Pawnees.  It  was  not  un- 
til August  3,  however,  that  these  Indians  were  met 
with.  A  council  was  held  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river  several  miles  above  the  present  site  of  Omaha, 
the  gathered  savages  expressing  a  desire  for  peace. 
Other  councils  were  held  as  the  boats  advanced,  and 
while  encamped  near  the  site  of  the  present  Sioux 
City  the  only  member  of  the  expedition  to  lose  his 
life  died  of  colic.  This  was  Sergeant  Charles 
Floyd.  By  late  August  the  explorers  entered  what 
is  now  South  Dakota.  They  were  then  in  the  land 
of  the  Sioux,  and  knowing  full  well  the  fierce  char- 
acter of  these  savage  rovers  of  the  plain,  they  made 
every  effort  to  hold  council  with  them.  This  was 
successfully  accomplished  on  the  thirtieth  of  Au- 
gust, when  the  pipe  of  peace  was  smoked,  and  the 
Indians  gave  a  weird  dance  in  their  honor. 

Above  Yankton  the  travellers  found  much  to  in- 
terest them,  although  they  were  not  yet  beyond  the 
boundaries  of  the  fur  trade;  frequently  they  met 
hardy  voyageurs  floating  down  on  the  muddy  cur- 


THE  PRAIRIE 


AN  INDIAN  BUFFALO   HUNT 


SCENES  DURING  THE  INDIANS'  SUPREMACY  ON  THE  PLAINS 


EXPEDITION  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARK 

rent.  Here  sand  ridges  were  seen  so  regular  in  for- 
mation as  to  be  mistaken  for  the  work  of  man. 
Among  other  things  noted  and  described  were  an- 
telope, prairie  dogs,  and  the  curious  remains  of  one 
of  the  extinct  giant  reptiles  of  the  Cretaceous  pe- 
riod, which  was  described  as  the  "  backbone  of  a 
fish  forty-five  feet  long,  in  a  perfect  state  of  petri- 
faction." In  the  country  of  the  Teton  Sioux,  with- 
in the  limits  of  the  present  Presho  County,  the 
explorers  experienced  their  first  serious  difficulty 
with  savages.  Guns  were  drawn,  but,  after  some 
hostile  demonstration,  a  reconciliation  was  reached, 
and  a  peace  council  held.  This  was  concluded  by 
a  scalp  dance  in  which  the  noise  was  deafening. 

The  Country  of  the  Aricaras  and  that  of  the  Mandans 

In  spite  of  their  professions  of  friendship  these 
same  Sioux  proved  troublesome,  constantly  dogging 
the  travellers  along  the  river  banks,  and  they  were 
glad  to  escape  and  enter  into  the  country  of 
the  Aricaras.  These  Indians  proved  friendly,  and 
were  noted  as  remarkable  in  that  they  refused  a  gift 
of  whiskey,  saying  it  would  make  them  fools.  Along 
here  the  travellers  for  the  first  time  saw  the  grizzly 
bear,  and  the  bighorn.  Fur-traders  were  met,  and 
proved  of  much  assistance.  It  was  now  October, 
the  weather  growing  cold,  and  on  the  twenty-first 
of  that  month  the  wearied  travellers  reached  the 
mouth  of  Heart  River,  where  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad  now  crosses  the  Missouri.  Here  they 
found  the  villages  of  the  Mandans,  and  made  prep- 

[65] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

arations  to  spend  the  winter.  On  the  north  bank, 
about  where  the  town  of  Stanton  is  now  situated,  the 
explorers  erected  some  log  huts,  protected  by  a 
stockade.  Much  of  interest  occurred  during  the 
months  passed  here,  the  habits  of  the  Mandans  be- 
ing intelligently  studied.  The  Sioux  were  quite 
troublesome,  but  the  deep  snow  prevented  any  cam- 
paign against  them.  Buffalo-hunting  was  indulged 
in,  and,  although  the  mercury  sank  to  thirty-two 
degrees  below  zero,  out-of-door  sports  were  kept 
up.  Several  visits  from  fur-traders  were  received, 
but  the  most  impotant  happening  was  the  engage- 
ment of  an  Indian  interpreter  named  Chaboneau. 
His  wife,  Sacajawea  (Bird  Woman),  a  captive 
from  the  Snake  Indians,  proved  a  most  valuable 
ally. 

From  Stanton,  North  Dakota,  into  the  Wilderness 

April  7,  1805,  the  escort  of  soldiers  started  back 
down  the  river,  and  on  the  same  day  the  expedition 
proper  began  its  journey  into  what  was  from  now 
on  a  truly  unexplored  wilderness.  The  thirty-two 
members  embarked  in  two  large  boats  and  six  ca- 
noes, and  slowly  propelled  their  way  upstream.  As 
they  advanced  they  beheld  wild  geese  and  gophers, 
and  soon  came  into  the  region  of  the  sage-brush  and 
alkali.  As  they  now  passed  beyond  the  Plains  into 
the  mountains,  our  review  of  their  experiences  must 
be  brief.  On  the  twenty-fifth  Captain  Lewis  and 
four  men,  travelling  on  foot,  discovered  the  Yel- 
lowstone River,  which  was  already  known  to  French 

[66] 


EXPEDITION  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARK 

trappers  as  La  Roche  Jaune.  They  saw  great  num- 
bers of  wild  animals,  and  had  several  serious  en- 
counters with  grizzly  bears.  They  were  now  within 
the  limits  of  the  present  Montana,  passing  in  turn 
the  mouths  of  Poplar  and  Milk  Rivers,  and  the  bed 
of  a  stream  without  water,  which  they  named  "Big 
Dry." 

The  Watershed  between  Atlantic  and  Pacific 

During  this  advance  numerous  adventures  oc- 
curred, including  the  upsetting  of  canoes,  and  the 
falling  of  trees.  At  times  they  were  obliged  to  tow 
their  boats  by  a  line  from  the  shore.  May  20  they 
were  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mussel-shell,  twenty-two 
hundred  and  seventy  miles  from  St.  Louis,  and  six 
days  later,  from  the  summit  of  a  high  hill,  Captain 
Lewis  caught  his  first  distant  view  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  Coming  to  a  division  of  the  waters, 
much  time  was  lost  in  determining  which  was  the 
main  stream,  but  they  finally  determined  on  the 
branch  leading  toward  the  southwest.  Some  dis- 
tance farther  on  they  were  compelled  to  make  a 
toilsome  portage  of  eighteen  miles,  which  caused  a 
delay  until  June  27.  This  was  at  Great  Falls,  where 
a  prosperous  city  now  stands.  Sacajawea  was  now 
in  her  own  native  land,  and  proved  of  much  value 
as  a  guide;  but  the  explorers  themselves  had  to 
search  for  a  pass  through  the  mountains.  At  last, 
about  the  middle  of  August,  the  struggling  company 
arrived  at  the  source  of  the  Missouri.  They  were 
now  on  foot,  following  an  old  Indian  trail.  This 

[67] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

trail  brought  them  to  the  dividing  line  between 
the  waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans.  Be- 
low ran  a  creek  which  emptied  into  the  Columbia. 

On  the  Columbia 

Pressing  on  through  obstacles  seemingly  impos- 
sible, skirting  the  shores  of  wild  mountain  streams, 
suffering  from  lack  of  food,  deceived  by  Indians, 
the  undismayed  explorers  finally  found  a  passage 
across  the  Bitter  Root  Range,  and,  September  20, 
came  forth  upon  a  great  plain,  and  into  the  care  of 
the  Nez  Perces,  whose  village  stood  near  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Pierce  City,  Idaho.  Here  they  rested 
several  days,  finally  advancing  to  the  Kooskooskee 
River,  where,  in  spite  of  much  sickness,  they  built 
five  canoes,  and,  October  8,  started  down  the  stream. 
Adventure  followed  adventure  with  startling  fre- 
quency, but,  in  spite  of  smashed  boats  and  Indian 
interruption,  the  men  persevered  and  conquered; 
and,  on  the  sixteenth  of  October,  their  battered  ca- 
noes swept  out  upon  the  waters  of  the  mighty  Co- 
lumbia, then  known  as  the  Oregon,  or  "River  of  the 
West."  This  great  stream  was  henceforth  to  be 
their  pathway  to  the  sea. 

The  remainder  of  their  westward  journey,  while 
prolific  enough  of  hardships  and  perils,  was  but  the 
drifting  down  with  the  current  to  the  river's  mouth. 
On  the  way  they  passed  numerous  Indian  villages, 
but  experienced  little  trouble  with  the  savages ;  they 
ran  falls  and  shot  rapids,  met  with  their  first  Flat- 

[68] 


EXPEDITION  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARK 

heads,  looked  upon  the  wonders  of  Mount  Hood, 
and  at  last  discovered  evidences  that  sea  traders  had 
penetrated  even  thus  far  into  the  interior.  So,  on 
November  7  they  came  forth  into  a  view  of  the 
broad  Pacific.  That  winter  was  passed  in  a  com- 
fortable camp  of  seven  log  cabins  about  three  miles 
up  the  Netul  River.  The  time  was  occupied  in 
studying  the  country,  observing  the  natives,  and 
hunting.  One  hundred  and  thirty-one  elk  were 
killed,  and  over  twenty  deer. 

The  Return  Journey     c 

The  last  of  March  the  long  return  journey  east- 
ward was  begun.  It  proved  a  laborious  trip,  as  full 
of  hardship  and  adventure  as  had  been  their  ad- 
vance. Several  times  they  had  serious  encounters 
with  hostile  Indians.  On  April  24,  having  procured 
a  few  horses  to  transport  their  supplies,  the  entire 
party  moved  forward  on  foot  across  the  mountains 
to  the  head-waters  of  the  Missouri.  Here  they  again 
constructed  canoes  and  embarked  on  that  stream. 
On  August  12,  near  the  mouth  of  Little  Knife 
Creek,  they  met  two  fur-traders  from  Illinois.  A 
few  days  later  the  entire  company  were  safe  in  the 
village  of  the  Mandans.  September  23  they  reached 
St.  Louis,  and  were  accorded  a  rousing  welcome. 
As  Ripley  Hitchock  well  observes,  "  The  journey 
which  they  made  is  one  of  the  world's  greatest  ex- 
plorations, and  its  story  has  become  a  classic  among 
the  travel  tales  of  history."  While  the  discoveries 
thus  made  failed  immediately  to  draw  immigration 

[69] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

to  the  far  West,  yet  its  influence  was  strong,  and,  in 
later  years,  when  the  time  was  ripe,  the  observa- 
tions of  Lewis  and  Clark  were  of  the  utmost  value. 
In  the  interim  the  great  wilderness  remained  com- 
paratively unknown,  roamed  over  by  Indian  and 
fur-trader;  the  tawny  Missouri  was  the  natural 
highway  of  those  few  adventurous  spirits  who  dared 
to  penetrate  that  region  of  savagery. 


[70] 


CHAPTER  VI 
THE  EXPLORATIONS  OF  PIKE  AND  LONG 

The  Objects  of  Pike's  Expedition 

AT  ABOUT  the  same  time  that  Lewis  and 
Clark,  with  their  heroic  companions,  were 
struggling  across  the  mountains  in  search  of  the  Pa- 
cific, the  Government  was  preparing  to  send  ex- 
plorers endeavoring  to  open  up  the  Southwest.  This 
second  expedition  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Zebulon  M.  Pike,  who  a  few  years  later  lost  his 
life  in  battle  against  the  English  in  Canada.  At 
the  time  of  his  assignment  to  this  duty  he  had  just 
returned  from  a  successful  exploration  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  its  head-waters.  April  30,  1806,  he  re- 
turned to  St.  Louis  from  this  trip,  and  in  July 
departed  westward  on  his  long  journey  across  the 
prairies.  His  party  consisted  of  twenty-three  sol- 
diers, and  he  was  required  to  escort  to  their  homes 
a  number  of  Osage  and  Pawnee  chiefs  who  had 
been  visiting  in  Washington.  The  special  avowed 
object  of  his  trip  was  to  reach  the  sources  of  the 
Arkansas  River,  and  explore  the  mountains  of  what 
is  now  Colorado. 

From  St.  Louis  to  Kansas  and  Nebraska 

Pike  travelled  by  boat  up  the  Missouri  and 
Osage  Rivers  until  the  village  of  the  Osage 
Indians  was  reached.  At  this  point  the  boats 

[70 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

were  abandoned,  and  the  party  moved  forward 
across  the  prairies  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska  to  the 
home  of  the  Pawnees.  Here  evidence  was  discov- 
ered that  the  Spaniards  at  Santa  Fe  had  in  some 
way  learned  of  the  Americans'  projected  explora- 
tion westward,  and  had  already  taken  steps  to  block 
the  path.  How  really  serious  this  opposition  was 
to  prove  was  not  fully  revealed  until  later,  but  at 
this  time  Pike  learned  that  an  armed  body  of  Span- 
iards had  just  visited  the  Pawnees,  held  council  with 
them,  and  left  behind  a  present  of  flags.  Just  what 
alliance  had  been  entered  into  it  was  impossible  to 
learn,  yet  the  Pawnee  chief  made  every  effort  in  his 
power,  short  of  actual  force,  to  keep  the  Americans 
from  proceeding,  claiming  that  he  had  promised 
the  Spaniards  to  intercept  them.  Pike,  however, 
promptly  lowered  the  flag  of  Spain,  hoisted  his  own 
in  its  place,  and  marched  resolutely  forward. 

Discovery  of  Pike's  Peak 

The  advance  of  the  little  body  of  intrepid  ex- 
plorers was  directly  across  the  open  prairie,  and 
they  occasionally  passed  the  deserted  camping-spots 
of  the  Spanish  troops.  The  notable  sights  men- 
tioned day  by  day  were  buffalo,  wild  horses,  and 
prairie  dogs.  Changing  their  direction  more  to- 
ward the  south,  yet  finding  little  to  guide  them  in 
the  unvaried  landscape,  they  finally  attained  the 
northern  bank  of  the  Arkansas  River,  not  far  from 
the  present  town  of  Great  Bend.  Here  the  party 
was  divided,  a  number  of  the  men  being  despatched 

[72] 


LIEUTENANT  ZEBULON  PIKE 

THE  FAMOUS  EXPLORER  OF  THE  SOUTHWEST 


EXPLORATIONS  OF  PIKE  AND  LONG 

down  the  river  for  exploration.  Pike,  with  fifteen 
followers  pushed  up  the  stream  to  the  plains  of  Col- 
orado, and  finally  made  camp  near  the  site  of 
Pueblo.  A  little  before  this,  November  15,  while 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Purgatory  River,  the  leader 
discovered  the  peak  to  which  has  been  given  his 
name  and  which  has  become  his  monument.  Of 
this  first  view  he  wrote: 

"I  thought  I  could  distinguish  a  mountain  to  our  right 
which  appeared  like  a  small  blue  cloud;  viewed  it  with  the  spy- 
glass and  was  still  more  confirmed  in  my  conjecture;  .  .  . 
in  half  an  hour  they  [the  mountains]  appeared  in  full  view  be- 
fore us.  When  our  small  party  arrived  on  the  hill  they  with 
one  accord  gave  three  cheers  to  the  Mexican  Mountains." 

His  "  blue  cloud  "  has  ever  since  been  known  as 
Pike's  Peak. 

Pike   Mistakes   the  Arkansas  for  the  Red   River 

On  November  24  Pike  took  a  few  men  with  him, 
and  set  forth  from  camp  with  the  intention  of  climb- 
ing the  Peak.  He  made  the  mistake,  very  common 
in  that  atmosphere,  of  believing  it  only  a  short  dis- 
tance away.  In  reality  the  distance  to  its  base  was 
a  hundred  miles.  After  travelling  far,  and  climb- 
ing lower  ridges,  the  great  peak  still  towered  before 
them  in  the  far  distance.  They  pushed  on,  how- 
ever, for  three  days,  when  deepening  snow,  together 
with  thin  clothing  and  a  scarcity  of  food,  compelled 
a  retreat.  A  little  later  the  entire  company  began 
an  ascent  of  the  Arkansas,  reaching  probably  the 
present  site  of  Canon  City.  Here  they  turned  aside, 

[73] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

following  the  course  of  Oil  Creek  to  South  Park, 
and  passed  along  the  South  Platte  until  they  again 
found  themselves  upon  the  banks  of  the  Arkansas. 
Believing  this  to  be  Red  River,  the  source  of  which 
he  had  been  particularly  ordered  to  discover,  Pike 
defied  the  bitter  cold  of  a  mountain  winter  and  ad- 
vanced up  the  stream  until  he  reached  its  begin- 
nings near  Leadville.  Returning,  and  arriving  at 
his  former  camp  at  Canon  City,  he  was  disappoint- 
ed to  discover  that  instead  of  the  Red  River  he  was 
still  upon  the  Arkansas. 

Caught  on  Spanish  Territory 

Determined  that  he  would  yet  succeed,  he  start- 
ed again  January  14,  1807,  braving  a  bitter  winter 
storm.  With  much  difficulty  and  suffering  the  lit- 
tle party  toiled  forward  up  Grape  Creek  and  along 
Wet  Mountain  Valley.  All  his  men  were  frost- 
bitten, and  several  crippled  for  life.  Yet  they 
pressed  resolutely  on,  clambering  across  the  Sangre 
de  Cristo  Range,  and  finally  descending  into  the  San 
Luis  Valley.  This  brought  them  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
well  within  Mexican  territory,  but  Pike,  believing 
the  stream  to  be  the  Red  River,  began  its  descent 
along  the  west  bank.  Reaching  the  entrance  of  the 
Rio  Conejos  on  January  31,  he  made  camp,  and  be- 
gan the  erection  of  a  stockade.  Although  doubt- 
less ignorant  of  the  fact,  he  was  now  scarcely  eighty 
miles  from  the  more  northern  Mexican  settlement, 
and  could  not  hope  to  remain  for  long  undiscovered 
by  Spanish  scouting  parties. 

[74] 


EXPLORATIONS  OF  PIKE  AND  LONG 

Much  speculation  has  been  indulged  in  by  his- 
torical writers  regarding  this  movement  into  Mexi- 
can territory  —  the  question  being  whether  or  not  it 
was  the  result  of  deliberate  purpose,  or  merely  ac- 
cident. General  Wilkinson  was  at  that  time  deeply 
implicated  in  the  plot  engineered  by  Aaron  Burr  to 
found  a  new  empire  in  the  Southwest.  Pike  had 
been  despatched  on  this  exploring  expedition  by 
Wilkinson ;  he  was  carrying  out  the  latter' s  orders, 
but  we  do  not  know  just  what  those  orders  were. 
McMaster  is  inclined  to  think  that  this  invasion  by 
American  soldiers  was  a  deliberate  part  of  the  Wil- 
kinson plot;  but  Pike  himself  emphatically  denied 
any  such  motive,  and  it  would  seem  far  more  prob- 
able that  by  losing  his  way  he  became  an  innocent 
participant  in  a  political  game  regarding  which  he 
knew  nothing. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  the  result  was  inevitable.  He 
had  been  at  this  camping-place  less  than  a  month 
when  a  considerable  Spanish  force  appeared.  No 
attempt  at  resistance  was  made,  owing  probably  to 
the  exceedingly  polite  manner  in  which  the  com- 
mandant extended  an  invitation  to  the  lost  Ameri- 
cans to  visit  the  Governor  at  Santa  Fe.  However 
pleasantly  the  truth  was  thus  concealed  under  the 
guise  of  fair  words,  the  little  party  of  explorers 
were  no  less  prisoners,  as  they  discovered  upon  ar- 
rival at  the  capital.  They  were  deprived  of  their 
arms,  and  after  severe  questioning  the  Governor  de- 
spatched the  confiding  Captain  under  guard  to  the 
commandant-general  at  Chihuahua,  where  his  pa- 

[751 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

pers  were  taken  from  him.  Finally,  after  many 
journeys  here  and  there,  the  entire  party  were 
escorted  northward  across  Texas,  and  safely  de- 
livered to  their  countrymen  at  Natchitoches, 
Louisiana,  on  July  i,  1807. 

The  Object  of  Long's  Journey 

Twelve  years  later  the  Government  despatched 
another  expedition  into  these  Western  wilds.  The 
object  was  an  exploration  of  the  Yellowstone;  but, 
through  various  causes,  this  was  abandoned,  and 
the  party  contented  itself  with  an  almost  aimless 
wandering  across  the  Great  Plains.  While  little 
was  discovered,  the  publicity  given  to  the  report 
made  had  considerable  effect  upon  Western  settle- 
ment. The  organization  was  at  first  both  military 
and  scientific,  the  troops  being  under  command  of 
Colonel  Henry  Atkinson,  and  the  other  department 
controlled  by  Major  Stephen  H.  Long.  The  jour- 
ney up  the  Missouri  was  performed  on  the  "  West- 
ern Engineer,"  probably  the  first  stern-wheel 
steamboat  ever  built,  and  which  had  just  been 
launched  at  Pittsburg.  This  marine  wonder  was 
seventy-five  feet  long,  thirteen  feet  beam,  and  drew 
nineteen  inches  of  water,  and,  although  very  slow, 
proved  quite  successful.  Leaving  St.  Louis  June  9, 
1819,  the  "Western  Engineer"  succeeded  in  arriv- 
ing at  what  is  now  Council  Bluffs  the  seventeenth 
of  September.  Here  winter  camp  was  made,  and 
the  troops  suffered  severely  from  scurvy.  Over 
three  hundred  were  attacked,  of  whom  a  third  died, 

[76] 


EXPLORATIONS  OF  PIKE  AND  LONG 

The  scientists  in  camp  a  short  distance  away  did 
not  suffer;  they  passed  a  pleasant  winter,  visiting 
much  at  the  adjacent  fort  of  the  Missouri  Fur  Com- 
pany, where  were  two  women,  probably  the  first  to 
ascend  the  Missouri  so  far.  One  was  the  wife  of 
the  Commandant,  Manuel  Lisa;  the  name  of  the 
other  is  unknown.  When  Spring  came,  for  reasons 
not  even  yet  clearly  understood  the  military  portion 
of  the  proposed  expedition  was  abandoned;  the 
troops  were  ordered  East,  but  Major  Long  and  his 
scientists  were  despatched  westward  into  the  Plains, 
his  orders  being  to  go  "  to  the  source  of  the  River 
Platte,  and  thence  by  way  of  the  Arkansas  and  Red 
Rivers  to  the  Mississippi."  The  party  thus  sent  into 
the  very  heart  of  the  Indian  country  was  small  and 
poorly  equipped.  Besides  Major  Long  it  consisted 
of  Captain  John  R.  Bell,  Lieutenant  W.  H.  Swift, 
Thomas  Say,  Edwin  James,  T.  R.  Peale,  Samuel 
Seymour,  H.  Dougherty,  D.  Adams,  three  engages, 
one  corporal,  and  six  privates.  So  thoroughly  was 
this  band  despised  by  the  savages  that  on  several 
occasions  their  chiefs  contemptuously  refused  to 
meet  them  in  council. 

The  Canadian  River  Mistaken  for  the  Red  River. 

Leaving  camp  on  the  Missouri  June  6,  the  little 
company  proceeded,  by  way  of  the  Pawnee  villages 
on  the  Loup,  up  the  sandy  shores  of  the  Platte  as 
far  as  the  present  site  of  Grand  Island.  Here  they 
crossed  the  stream,  and  without  incident  continued 
on  to  the  Forks,  and  ascended  the  South  Fork.  The 

[77] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

thirtieth  of  June  they  came  in  sight  of  the  moun- 
tains, the  peak  first  seen  since  bearing  the  name  of 
Long.  Very  little  effort  was  made  to  follow  the 
stream  to  its  source,  mountain-climbing  being  ex- 
ceedingly hard  work,  and  the  camp  established  on 
the  present  site  of  Denver  proving  a  pleasant  place 
of  rest.  July  9,  however,  this  camp  was  deserted, 
and  the  party  moved  southward,  and  halted  on 
the  banks  of  Fountain  Creek.  Starting  from  here, 
Dr.  James,  with  two  men,  succeeded  in  ascending 
Pike's  Peak  to  its  summit,  and  ascertained  its  alti- 
tude. Resuming  their  march  on  the  sixteenth,  they 
arrived  a^the  Arkansas  near  the  mouth  of  Turkey 
Creek.  Here,  after  a  few  short  exploring  ex- 
peditions had  been  attempted,  resulting  in  no 
discoveries  of  importance,  the  company  separated, 
one  section  under  Captain  Bell  descending  the  Ar- 
kansas, while  the  other  sought  the  Red  River.  This 
separation  occurred  July  24,  1820.  * 

The  travels  of  both  parties  proved  uneventful, 
that  down  the  Arkansas  terminating  at  Fort  Smith, 
September  9.  Major  Long's  party  took  a  course 
slightly  east  of  south,  crossing  Purgatory  Creek 
and  several  of  the  sources  of  the  Cimarron,  until 
they  arrived  at  what  they  believed  to  be  a  tributary 
of  the  Red  River.  This  they  followed  to  the  main 
stream,  which  was  descended  to  its  mouth,  when 
the  discovery  was  made  that  instead  of  the  Red  they 
had  been  upon  the  Canadian  River.  The  party 
suffered  greatly  from  excessive  heat  and  lack  of 
food,  but  had  no  adventures,  and  learned  little  of 

[78] 


ra 


a.     W 

> 


EXPLORATIONS  OF  PIKE  AND  LONG 

the  country  which  could  not  have  been  discovered 
by  interviewing  those  traders  and  trappers  who  al- 
ready ranged  the  region.  They  arrived  at  Fort 
Smith  only  four  days  later  than  Captain  Bell.  This 
expedition  practically  completed  all  Government 
effort  at  exploration  for  several  years. 


[791 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE  FUR-TRADERS 

Trappers  and  Traders  the  True  Pathfinders 

WHILE  the  Government  was  virtually  neg- 
lecting this  Western  country  of  the  Plains, 
private  enterprise  had  been  slowly  prying  open  its 
secrets,  and  individuals  were  finding  their  uncer- 
tain way  along  its  water-courses,  or  across  its  sun- 
browned  prairie.  The  fur  trade  was  the  powerful 
magnet  which  thus  early  drew  westward  hardy  ad- 
venturers by  the  score.  Very  few  of  the  names  of 
those  who  thus  first  trod  the  Plains  have  been  pre- 
served even  upon  the  records  of  the  great  fur  com- 
panies. They  were  generally  obscure,  illiterate  men, 
possessing  little  except  their  rifles  and  traps,  living 
for  long  years  in  the  depths  of  the  wilderness,  only 
occasionally  appearing  amid  the  haunts  of  pioneer 
civilization  with  their  packs  of  furs.  Sometimes 
they  travelled  in  independent  parties  for  protection 
against  Indian  treachery;  some  were  free  trappers, 
others  were  enrolled  upon  the  lists  of  the  organized 
fur  companies  and  worked  under  orders.  In  either 
case  they  necessarily  led  hard,  wild  lives,  continu- 
ally filled  with  adventure  and  personal  peril.  These 
men,  roughly  clothed,  living  on  wild  game,  their 
safety  constantly  menaced,  were  the  true  Western 
pathfinders,  digging  continually  deeper  year  by  year 
into  the  vast  wilderness,  and  from  their  ranks  came 

[80] 


THE   FUR-TRADERS 

those  competent  guides  who  were  later  to  lead  or- 
ganized expeditions  to  the  Western  Ocean.  During 
the  forty  years  following  the  purchase  of  Louisiana 
by  the  United  States  the  people  of  the  East  pos- 
sessed hardly  the  slightest  conception  of  its  immense 
value.  The  one  considerable  commercial  attraction 
it  offered  during  this  period  was  its  wealth  of  furs, 
and  during  nearly  half  a  century  this  was  its  sole 
business  of  importance. 

In  the  language  of  Chittenden,  introducing  his 
history  of  the  American  fur  trade : 

"The  nature  of  this  business  determined  the  character  of 
the  early  white  population.  It  was  the  roving  trader  and  the 
solitary  white  trapper  who  first  sought  out  these  inhospitable 
wilds,  traced  the  streams  to  their  sources,  scaled  the  mountain 
passes,  and  explored  a  boundless  expanse  of  territory  where  the 
foot  of  the  white  man  had  never  trodden  before.  The  far  West 
became  a  field  of  romantic  adventure,  and  developed  a  class  of 
men  who  loved  the  wandering  career  of  the  native  inhabitant 
rather  than  the  toilsome  lot  of  the  industrious  colonist.  The 
type  of  life  thus  developed,  though  essentially  evanescent,  and 
not  representing  any  profound  national  movement,  was  a  distinct 
and  necessary  phase  in  the  growth  of  this  new  country.  Abound- 
ing in  incidents  picturesque  and  heroic,  its  annals  inspire  an 
interest  akin  to  that  which  belongs  to  the  age  of  knight-errantry. 
For  the  free  hunter  of  the  far  West  was,  in  his  rough  way, 
a  good  deal  of  a  knight-errant.  Caparisoned  in  the  wild 
attire  of  the  Indian,  and  armed  cap-a-pie  for  instant  combat,  he 
roamed  far  and  wide  over  deserts  and  mountains,  gathering  the 
scattered  wealth  of  those  regions,  slaying  ferocious  beasts  and 
savage  men,  and  leading  a  life  in  which  every  footstep  was  be- 
set with  enemies,  and  every  movement  pregnant  of  peril.  The 
great  proportion  of  those  intrepid  spirits  who  laid  down  their 
lives  in  that  far  country  is  impressive  proof  of  the  jeopardy 
of  their  existence.  All  in  all,  the  period  of  this  adventurous 

[81] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

business  may  justly  be  considered  the  romantic  era  of  the  history 
of  the  West." 

So  valuable  was  this  preliminary  work  in  ex- 
ploration that  the  able  historian  of  the  movement 
seems  fully  justified  in  his  statement,  that  these  often 
unknown  men  were  the  true  pathfinders,  and  not 
those  official  explorers  who  came  later,  yet  have 
been  accorded  the  proud  title.  Nothing  in  West- 
ern geography  was  ever  discovered  by  Government 
expeditions  after  1840.  It  was  every  mile  of  it 
known  previously  to  trader  and  trapper.  Brigham 
Young  was  led  to  the  valley  of  Great  Salt  Lake  by 
information  furnished  by  these  men;  in  the  war 
with  Mexico  the  military  forces  were  guided  by 
those  who  knew  every  trail  and  mountain  pass;  they 
were  veterans  of  the  fur  trade  who  pointed  Fremont 
to  the  Pacific;  and  when  the  rush  of  emigration 
finally  set  in  toward  Oregon  and  California,  the 
very  earliest  of  those  travellers  found  already  made 
for  them  a  highway  across  the  continent. 

Some  Noteworthy  Free  Trappers 

At  how  early  a  date  adventurous  free  trappers 
had  invaded  the  Great  Plains  it  is  impossible  to 
state.  French-Canadians  undoubtedly  drifted  down 
from  the  north,  through  the  country  of  the  Sioux, 
well  back  in  the  eighteenth  century,  possibly  even 
penetrating  as  far  as  the  Arkansas,  where  they 
came  in  contact  with  the  Spanish  outposts.  As  early 
as  1800  American  hunters  had  advanced  up  the  Mis- 
souri as  far  as  the  villages  of  the  Mandans,  and  had 

[82] 


THE   FUR-TRADERS 

trapped  upon  the  waters  of  the  Platte.  In  1804  we 
know  that  two  Illinois  men,  Hancock  and  Dickson, 
were  trapping  beaver  on  the  Yellowstone,  and  there 
must  have  been  scattered  here  and  there  others 
whose  names  have  not  been  preserved.  In  1807 
John  Colter,  a  member  of  Lewis  and  Clark's  party, 
discharged  on  the  Missouri,  immediately  turned 
back  into  the  wilderness,  where  he  remained  for 
years,  making  important  discoveries,  including  that 
region  now  known  as  Yellowstone  Park.  Potts,  an- 
other Lewis  and  Clark  man,  accompanied  him  until 
killed  by  Indians.  The  full  story  of  these  individ- 
ual wanderers  over  plain  and  mountain  can  never 
be  written.  Very  few  of  the  names,  or  the  adven- 
tures met  with,  have  been  perserved,  and  the  most 
of  the  men  perished  alone  in  the  wilderness. 

Organized   Fur-Traders   Opposed  by  the  Indians 

Among  organized  fur-traders  the  earliest  name 
of  any  prominence  is  that  of  Manuel  Lisa,  of  St. 
Louis.  With  him  were  associated  Pierre  Menard 
and  William  Morrison,  of  Kaskaskia.  As  early 
as  1807  these  men  began  operations  on  the  Plains, 
gradually  advancing  into  the  mountains,  establish- 
ing trading-posts  along  the  Missouri,  and  as  far 
away  as  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Horn.  These  men 
were  compelled  to  fight  the  Indians  as  well  as  con- 
duct trade  with  them,  and  their  yearly  reports  were 
as  full  of  adventure  as  of  business.  Of  all  the 
Plains  tribes  the  Aricaras  of  South  Dakota  caused 
the  most  trouble,  although  the  Sioux  were  also  fre- 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

quently  found  hostile.    In  the  mountains  the  Black- 
feet  were  almost  continually  upon  the  war-path. 

Adventures   of  Ezekiel  Williams 

The  adventures  of  a  party  under  Ezekiel  Wil- 
liams occurred  also  as  early  as  1807.  He  was  a 
well-known  frontiersman,  who  had  been  employed 
by  the  Government  to  restore  to  his  own  people 
a  Mandan  chief  who  had  accompanied  Lewis  and 
Clark  to  Washington  after  a  military  expedition 
had  failed.  Twenty  men  started  with  him.  Hav- 
ing safely  performed  this  assigned  duty,  Williams 
and  his  party  started  west  into  the  mountains  on 
a  trapping  trip,  dividing  into  two  detachments  on 
arriving  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone.  The 
Indians  becoming  troublesome,  Williams  with 
eight  or  ten  of  the  men  moved  south  along  the 
base  of  the  mountains  until  they  reached  the  Ar- 
kansas. Here  another  separation  took  place,  four 
going  to  Santa  Fe,  while  Williams  with  five  men, 
two  of  them  Frenchmen,  struck  out  into  the  moun- 
tains. Here,  while  trapping,  three  were  killed, 
and  Williams,  with  Chaplain  and  Parteau,  sought 
protection  among  the  Arapahoes  on  the  South 
Platte.  They  passed  a  miserable  winter,  but  in 
the  spring  Williams  got  away,  and  floated  down 
the  Arkansas  in  a  canoe  for  over  four  hundred 
miles.  He  was  captured  by  Kansas  Indians,  and 
robbed  of  his  furs,  but  finally  reached  safety  in 
Missouri  in  September.  The  next  May  he  con- 
ducted a  party  back  to  the  Arapahoe  village  in 

[84] 


THE   FUR-TRADERS 

search  of  his  companions,  only  to  learn  they  had 
probably  been  killed. 

Explorations  by  Employees  of  the  Fur  Companies 

The  great  fur  companies  had  but  little  to  do 
with  the  Plains  except  to  traverse  them  in  their 
journeys  back  and  forth  between  the  market  at  St. 
Louis  and  the  mountains.  In  the  earlier  days  there 
was  some  trapping  of  beaver  along  the  prairie 
streams,  but  this  was  usually  done  independently. 
In  this  work  nearly  every  water-course  between 
the  Missouri  and  the  Rockies  had  been  explored 
by  daring  adventurers,  oftentimes  traversing  the 
wilderness  alone.  Yet  the  main  supply  of  furs 
was  sought  in  the  mountains,  and  it  was  to  these 
the  great  fur  companies  despatched  their  men, 
generally  by  boats  up  the  Missouri,  although 
occasionally  parties  struck  directly  across  the  inter- 
vening Plain,  usually  following  the  valley  of  the 
Platte.  Of  the  two  methods  it  would  almost  seem 
as  though  that  by  water  was  the  more  difficult. 
Against  a  swift  current  heavily  laden  keel-boats 
were  slowly  hauled,  or  "  cordelled, "  twenty  men 
along  the  shore  pulling  the  clumsy  barge  by  means 
of  a  line  fastened  high  enough  to  be  out  of  the 
way  of  brushwood.  Where  the  water  was  shal- 
low the  voyageurs  poled  single  file,  facing  the  stern, 
and  pushing  with  all  their  power.  In  deeper  water 
oars  were  utilized,  but  in  any  case  it  was  slow,  hard 
work,  involving  months  of  unremitting  labor. 

The  same  year  in  which  Lisa  first  organized 
[85] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  Mr.  Astor  commenced 
operations  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  at  once  there 
began  open  war  between  these  two  companies  for 
the  control  of  the  fur  trade.  The  Northwestern 
Fur  Company  also  became  involved  in  the  hos- 
tilities. Regarding  the  occurrences  in  the  far 
Northwest  we  have  now  nothing  to  do,  except  that 
they  were  more  or  less  connected  with  the  move- 
ment of  expeditions  across  the  Plains.  One  of  the 
most  important  of  these  was  that  led  by  William 
P.  Hunt  for  the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  which  left 
St.  Louis  in  the  Spring  of  1812.  He  had  over 
sixty  men  in  his  company,  and  much  toil  and  suf- 
fering were  encountered.  Some  of  the  way  it  be- 
came a  race  between  his  party  and  representatives 
of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company.  Hunt's  party  as- 
cended the  Missouri  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the 
Big  Cheyenne.  Here  they  left  their  boats  and  fol- 
lowed the  general  course  of  that  stream  to  the  base 
of  the  Black  Hills ;  then  they  travelled  westward 
to  the  valley  of  the  North  Platte.  They  were  al- 
most a  year  in  reaching  the  Pacific,  their  circuitous 
route  measuring  nearly  thirty-five  hundred  miles. 
A  year  later  a  party  consisting  of  Robert  Stu- 
art, McLellan,  Crooks,  and  two  Frenchmen,  trav- 
elled east  from  Astoria.  On  the  way,  probably  in 
southern  Wyoming,  they  met  a  trapper  named  Mil- 
ler, who  had  just  escaped  from  the  Arapahoes. 
These  same  Indians  succeeded  in  running  off  their 
horses,  and  they  were  compelled  to  perform  the  re- 
mainder of  their  journey  to  the  Missouri  on  foot. 

[86] 


THE   FUR-TRADERS 

Their  sufferings  in  the  mountains  had  been  in- 
tense, but  after  reaching  the  Plains  they  had  little 
trouble.  They  followed  the  Platte  through  its  en- 
tire course,  being  the  first  party  on  record  to  do  so. 

The  Ashley  Expedition 

In  1822  William  H.  Ashley  comes  into  promi- 
nence, being  connected  with  the  North  American 
Fur  Company.  In  that  year  he  helped  Alexander 
Henry  to  erect  a  trading-fort  on  the  Yellowstone, 
and  a  year  later  he  started  up  the  Missouri  with 
twenty-eight  men,  bound  for  that  post.  On  the 
way  they  were  attacked  by  Aricaras  and  driven 
back,  having  fourteen  killed  and  ten  wounded. 
Undaunted  by  this,  Ashley  enlisted  three  hundred 
followers,  and  in  1824  struck  out  across  the  Plains, 
following  the  Platte  to  the  South  Pass,  and  ex- 
ploring the  Sweetwater.  He  pushed  through  the 
mountains  to  Utah  Lake,  built  a  fort  there,  and 
two  years  later  sold  out  his  interest  to  several  of 
his  men,  Jedediah  S.  Smith,  William  L.  Sublette, 
and  David  E.  Jackson.  These  were  well-known 
names  among  early  trappers  and  traders,  Smith 
having  reached  California,  by  the  way  of  Utah  and 
Nevada,  as  early  as  1826.  In  the  service  of  both 
Ashley  and  this  newly  formed  company,  was  James 
P.  Beckwourth,  long  famous  throughout  the  West. 
He  claimed  to  have  been  in  the  mountains  since 
1817,  and  to  have  been  the  first  to  explore  the 
South  Platte.  To  Smith,  Sublette,  and  Jackson 
belongs  the  distinction  of  taking  the  first  wagons 

[87] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

across  the  Plains  and  into  the  mountains.  Ten 
wagons,  each  drawn  by  five  mules,  were  driven  the 
entire  distance  from  St.  Louis  to  Wind  River. 
Each  wagon  carried  eighteen  hundred  pounds,  and 
they  travelled  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  miles  a 
day.  A  year  later  the  same  company  brought  out 
fourteen  wagons,  and  others  soon  discovered  this 
to  be  the  easier  method  of  crossing  the  Great  Plains 
with  supplies.  The  favorite  route  was  northwest  to 
Grand  Island,  and  then  the  valley  of  the  Platte. 
A  few  years  later  this  became  the  well-travelled 
route  to  Oregon. 

The  revived  Missouri  Fur  Company  was  at 
about  this  date,  under  the  leadership  of  Lisa,  Pil- 
cher,  Hempstead,  and  Perkins,  operating  in  the 
country  around  the  South  Pass,  although  the  prin- 
cipal territory  covered  by  its  trappers  was  among 
the  Sioux,  Aricaras,  and  other  Missouri  River 
tribes.  By  1830  the  various  organized  companies 
must  have  had  a  regiment  of  men  on  the  Plains  and 
in  the  mountains.  Of  these  as  individuals  very  little 
is  known.  As  Herbert  Bancroft  writes :  "  It  would 
be  gratifying  to  be  able  to  give  a  list  of  all  the  hunt- 
ers and  trappers  previous  to  the  period  of  emigra- 
tion ;  but  these  men  had  no  individual  importance 
in  the  eyes  of  their  leaders,  who  recruited  their 
rapidly  thinning  ranks  yearly,  with  little  attention 
to  the  personality  of  the  victims  of  hardship,  acci- 
dent, vice,  or  Indian  hostility." 

Those  hunters  were  regarded  by  the  fur  com- 
panies as  mere  tools  by  which  they  could  acquire 

[88] 


THE   FUR-TRADERS 

the  peltry  to  be  found  in  unsettled  districts;  and 
when  by  disease  or  death  they  became  no  longer 
serviceable,  they  were  cast  aside.  In  many  cases 
their  bodies  were  left  unburied  on  the  prairie.  The 
names  of  a  few  of  the  more  prominent  have  been 
preserved.  Among  them  are  Blackwell,  La  Jeunesse, 
Robert  Campbell,  Kit  Carson,  Newell,  Meek,  Eb- 
berts,  Gervais,  Craig,  Vanderberg,  Gale,  Ward, 
Wade,  Parmalee,  Robinson,  Larison,  Guthrie,  Clay- 
more, Legarde,  Maloney,  Harris,  Matthieu,  Bou- 
deau,  Bissonette,  Adams,  Sabille,  Galpin." 

Captain  Bonneville's  Expedition  up  the  Platte 

It  was  in  1832  that  Captain  E.  L.  Bonneville,  an 
army  officer  on  leave,  led  a  party  of  one  hundred 
and  ten  frontiersmen  across  the  Plains  to  the  Rock- 
ies. His  purpose  was  profit  and  adventure,  and  his 
officers  Walker  and  Serre.  They  followed  the  route 
up  the  Platte  Valley  with  a  caravan  of  twenty 
wagons,  the  journey  being  particularly  notable 
because  oxen  were  used,  these  being  the  first  "  bull- 
teams"  on  the  northern  Plains.  The  company 
remained  in  the  mountain  country  for  over  three 
years.  Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth  led  a  party  of  adven- 
turers over  about  the  same  route  in  1832. 

The  requirements  of  the  fur  trade,  carried  on 
as  it  was  in  the  midst  of  hostile  savages,  and  at  a 
great  distance  from  civilization,  led  to  the  early  es- 
tablishment at  convenient  points  for  transportation, 
of  posts  or  forts.  These  were  usually  controlled  by 
the  great  fur  companies,  yet  were  occasionally 

[89] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

erected  by  individuals.  In  appearance  they  dif- 
fered little,  except  in  size,  and  the  material  used  in 
construction.  Where  possible  forest  trees  were  uti- 
lized for  buildings  and  stockade,  although  on  the 
open  prairie  earth  was  occasionally  made  to  serve 
these  purposes,  and  in  the  far  south  adobe  prevailed. 
In  the  later  days  of  the  trade  the  majority  of  these 
forts  were  in  the  mountains ;  yet  near  enough  to  the 
western  edge  of  the  Plains  to  deal  with  the  Plains 
Indians,  but  earlier  one  can  trace  the  slow  advance 
of  the  trapper  into  the  wilderness  by  the  posts  thus 
built  along  his  way.  Between  1807  and  ^43  over 
one  hundred  and  forty  of  these  posts  were  erected 
throughout  the  Western  country. 

French  Forts  in  the  Valley  of  the  Missouri 

Fort  Orleans,  built  by  the  French  under  M. 
Bourgemont,  was  the  first  of  the  Missouri  River 
posts,  dating  back  to  1772,  and  stood  upon  an  is- 
land five  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Grand 
River.  There  is  a  tradition  that  it  was  once  at- 
tacked by  savages,  and  all  the  inmates  massacred. 
At  least  three  posts  were  a  little  later  established 
in  the  Osage  Valley,  but  acquired  no  special  im- 
portance. Fort  Osage,  or  Fort  Clark,  stood  near 
the  site  of  Sibley,  Missouri,  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Kansas.  It  later  became  a  Government  fort, 
and  was  garrisoned  until  1827.  Francis  G.  Chou- 
teau,  a  famous  trader,  built  two  posts  in  the  coun- 
try of  the  Kansas  Indians.  The  first  was  destroyed 
by  flood  in  1826,  but  the  second,  about  ten  miles 

[90] 


THE   FUR-TRADERS 

up  the  Kansas  River,  was  maintained  for  many 
years.  An  old  French  fort,  the  history  of  which 
is  unknown,  stood  on  the  Kansas  shore  opposite 
the  upper  end  of  Kickapoo  Island,  well  back 
among  the  bluffs.  It  was  in  ruins  as  early  as  1819. 
A  post,  erected  by  Joseph  Robidoux,  and  known 
as  Blacksnake  Hills,  stood  on  the  present  site  of 
St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  At  Council  Bluffs  a  number 
of  posts  were  built,  but  their  names  have  been  for- 
gotten. This  was  a  famous  trading-point;  but  the 
Council  Bluffs  of  those  earlier  years  was  twenty- 
five  miles  above  the  modern  city  of  that  name,  and 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  being  about  where 
the  little  town  of  Calhoun  now  stands.  In  the 
fifty  years  following  the  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedi- 
tion not  less  than  twenty  trading-forts  were  erected 
between  this  point  and  the  mouth  of  the  Platte. 
Probably  the  oldest  of  these  was  Bellevue,  which 
is  believed  to  have  been  established  in  1805.  The 
most  important,  however,  was  Fort  Lisa,  founded 
in  1812,  and  situated  six  miles  below  old  Council 
Bluffs. 

Similar  posts  were  found  opposite  the  modern 
town  of  Onawa,  Iowa;  near  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Sioux,  and  just  below  the  mouth  of  the  Vermilion. 
Halfway  between  the  Vermilion  and  the  James 
stood  another,  while  Ponca  Post  was  beside  the 
mouth  of  the  Niobrara.  Trudeau's  House,  some- 
times called  Pawnee  House,  was  occupied  for  trade 
as  early  as  1796.  It  was  on  the  left  bank,  above 
and  nearly  opposite  old  Fort  Randall.  In  the 

[91] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

neighborhood  of  Chamberlain,  South  Dakota, 
were  a  number  of  forts,  operated  by  different  fur 
companies  as  early  as  i8ia  Among  them  were 
Recovery,  Brasseaux,  Lookout,  Kiowa,  and  Defi- 
ance, Of  these  Kiowa,  established  in  1822,  was 
the  largest  and  commercially  the  most  important 
It  was  built  of  logs,  and  inclosed  with  a  stockade 
of  cottonwood  twenty  feet  high*  Lozzell's  Post, 
about  thirty-five  miles  below  Fort  Pierre,  was 
probably  the  first  American  trading-fort  built  in 
the  Sioux  country,  and  was  occupied  as  early  as 
1803,  It  was  of  logs,  and  was  seventy  feet  square, 
with  bastions. 

The  Early  Trading-Posts 

The  mouth  of  what  is  now  called  Bad  River, 
formerly  the  Little  Missouri,  was  prolific  of  trad- 
ing-posts. This  was  the  nearest  point  on  the  Mis- 
souri River  to  the  Black  Hills  and  the  upper  Platte 
Valley,  When  the  first  fort  was  established  is  un- 
known, but  the  more  famous  in  the  early  days  were 
Forts  Tecumseh  and  Pierre.  The  latter  was  quite 
extensive,  containing  about  two  and  a  half  acres  of 
land.  Scattered  throughout  the  Sioux  country  nu- 
merous small  posts  were  built  There  were  three  in 
the  valley  of  the  James,  besides  one  at  the  forks  and 
one  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cheyenne,  one  at  the  Ari- 
cara  villages,  and  others  on  Cherry,  White,  and  Ni- 
obrara  Rivers.  These,  however,  were  not  important 
or  permanent  structures.  Near  the  Mandans  were 
several  forts,  the  earliest  of  which  was  built  by 
Lewis  and  Clark  in  1804,  while  but  little  later 

[92] 


THE   FUR-TRADERS 

Manuel  Lisa  occupied  the  ground.  His  post  later 
became  known  as  Fort  Vanderburgh.  Beyond  this 
point  we  need  not  go  up  the  Missouri  except  to 
mention  the  largest  and  most  important  of  all  the 
trading-forts,  Fort  Union1  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yel- 
lowstone. Probably  this  was  first  built  in  October, 
1828.  In  size  it  was  two  hundred  and  forty  by  two 
hundred  and  twenty  feet,  surrounded  by  a  palisade 
a  foot  thick  and  twenty  feet  high.  The  bastions 
were  of  stone,  surmounted  by  pyramidal  roofs,  the 
walls  pierced  for  defence.  A  very  large  number  of 
men  were  employed  here,  and  Indians  journeyed 
from  great  distances  to  trade. 

Forts  along  the  Eastern  Base  of  the  Rockies. 

Leaving  this  northern  mountain  country  and 
passing  southward,  we  will  note  briefly  those  trad- 
ing posts  established  along  the  eastern  base  of  the 
Rockies,  whose  dealings  were  principally  with  the 
Indians  of  the  Plains.  The  Portuguese  Houses, 
near  the  junction  of  the  North  and  South  Forks  of 
the  Powder  River,  were  occupied  at  a  very  early 
date,  and  were  in  ruins  in  1859.  They  were  erected 
by  a  trader  named  Antonio  Mateo.  Bridger  averred 
that  at  one  time  this  post  successfully  resisted  a 
siege  of  forty  days  by  the  Sioux.  Fort  William, 
named  for  William  L.  Sublette,  stood  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  North  Platte  and  Laramie  Rivers.  It 
was  built  in  1834,  and,  a^ter  an  interesting  history 


laAiidubon  and  His  Journals,"  Vol.  II,  p.  180,  gives  a  de- 
tailed description  of  this  remarkable  wilderness  fortification. 

[93] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

as  a  trading-post,  was  sold  to  the  Government,  and 
rechristened  Fort  Laramie.  Fort  Platte  was  an  un- 
important post,  erected  about  1840,  on  the  right 
bank  of  that  stream.  La  Bonti  was  a  temporary 
trading-house,  occupied  in  1841,  at  the  mouth  of 
La  Bonti  Creek.  In  the  valley  of  the  South  Platte, 
about  thirty  miles  below  the  present  site  of  Denver, 
were  a  number  of  trading  establishments  whose 
names  and  histories  have  not  been  preserved.  Fort 
Lupton,  also  known  as  Lancaster,  stood  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  South  Platte,  two  miles  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Saint  Vrain.  It  was  built  of  adobe.  Fort 
Saint  Vrain  was  at  the  mouth  of  that  tributary,  and 
was  prominent  about  1841,  when  in  charge  of  Mar- 
cellus  Saint  Vrain.  Two  other  posts  were  in  this 
neighborhood,  but  their  names  are  not  of  record. 

Trading-Posts  in  the  Valley  of  the  Arkansas 

The  valley  of  the  Arkansas  was  long  occupied 
by  the  fur-traders;  but  as  these  were  largely  inde- 
pendent operators,  their  posts  were  mostly  of  a  tem- 
porary character.  The  earliest  of  them  dates  back 
to  1763,  and  was  situated  close  up  to  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  but  the  name  of  the  daring  adventurer 
is  unknown.  In  1806  Lieutenant  Pike  built  a  re- 
doubt just  above  the  mouth  of  Fountain  Creek,  and 
it  is  believed  that  Chouteau  and  De  Munn  occupied 
a  house  in  the  same  neighborhood  in  1815-1817.  In 
1821  Jacob  Fowler  erected  a  log  structure  on  the 
present  site  of  Pueblo,  but  his  stay  there  was  brief. 
Gant  and  Blackwell,  who  were  successful  traders 

[94] 


THE   FUR-TRADERS 

with  the  Arapahoes,  had  a  post  six  miles  above 
Fountain  Creek  in  1832,  and  ten  years  later,  at  the 
mouth  of  that  same  stream,  either  James  Beck- 
wourth  or  George  Simpson  built  a  fort  which  be- 
came known  as  the  Pueblo.  In  1843  there  were  two 
posts,  names  unknown,  about  five  miles  above 
Bent's  Fort,  inhabited  by  French  and  Mexicans. 
Their  principal  business  seems  to  have  been  smug- 
gling across  the  Mexican-American  line.  The 
lower  Arkansas  had  no  post  of  importance,  and  was 
not  greatly  frequented  by  trappers.  That  known 
as  Glenn's  is  alone  worthy  of  mention,  and  stood 
about  a  mile  above  the  mouth  of  the  Verdigris,  not 
far  from  the  later  site  of  Fort  Gibson.  It  was  prob- 
ably abandoned  as  early  as  1821. 

The  one  important  trading-post  of  the  southern 
Plains  was  Bent's  Fort,  or  Fort  Williams.  This 
stood  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Arkansas  about  half- 
way between  the  present  towns  of  La  Junta  and 
Las  Animas,  Colorado.  It  was  erected  by  three 
Bent  brothers,  all  famous  as  Western  frontiersmen, 
in  1829.  I*  became  noted  in  both  the  fur  and  Santa 
Fe  trades,  a  great  rendezvous  for  trappers,  and  a 
stopping-place  for  all  the  wanderers  of  the  Plains. 
At  times  hundreds  of  men,  women,  and  children 
were-  gathered  in  and  about  its  walls,  and  many  were 
the  stirring  incidents  of  its  romantic  history.  It 
was  one  hundred  and  fifty  by  one  hundred  feet  in 
size,  the  longer  sides  running  north  and  south.  The 
walls  were  of  adobe,  six  feet  thick  at  the  base,  and 
seventeen  high.  The  single  entrance  was  upon  the 

[95] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

east.  In  1839  this  fort  had  in  its  employ  nearly  a 
hundred  men.  Its  trade  was  with  the  Arapahoes, 
Cheyennes,  Kiowas,  and  Comanches.  Rather  than 
sell  to  the  Government  at  a  price  less  than  he  be- 
lieved it  worth,  Colonel  William  Bent  deliberately 
destroyed  the  buildings  in  1852.  To-day  the  ruins 
are  yet  visible. 


[96] 


CHAPTER  VIII 
INCIDENTS  DURING  THE  FUR  TRADE 

Sufferings  of  the  Trappers 

THE  history  of  the  fur  trade  is  filled  with 
stories  of  adventure,  daring,  and  savage  war- 
fare. What  the  hardy  trappers  suffered,  isolated 
in  the  wilderness,  battling  constantly  against  wild 
beasts  and  wild  men,  can  never  be  known.  The 
majority  died  in  the  silence  of  remote  regions,  their 
very  names  long  since  forgotten,  the  heroism  of 
their  last  fight  untold.  The  records  of  the  great 
fur  companies  alone  contain  brief  mention  of  such 
incidents  as  appeared  to  them  worthy  of  being  writ- 
ten down.  These  generally  occurred  among  the 
fastnesses  of  the  great  mountains,  where  the  trap- 
pers made  rendezvous  and  spent  the  larger  part  of 
their  lives.  The  disastrous  battle  at  Pierre's  Hole, 
the  heroic  exploration  of  Utah,  and  the  first  ad- 
vance to  California,  are  all  full  of  dramatic  inci- 
dent; but  the  occurrences  took  place  too  far  to  the 
westward  for  the  scope  of  this  present  work.  After 
the  first  years  of  exploration,  and  some  beaver  trap- 
ping along  the  streams,  the  Great  Plains  were  used 
merely  as  a  crossing  from  the  region  of  civilization 
to  the  far  more  profitable  mountain  region  beyond. 
Up  the  Missouri  by  boat,  or  along  the  valley  of  the 
Platte  on  foot,  the  hunters  passed,  alone  or  in 

[971 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

companies,  their  destination  those  great  ranges  be- 
yond. No  doubt  much  of  hardship,  of  adventure, 
of  Indian-fighting,  marked  those  long  prairie  miles, 
but  not  of  sufficient  interest  to  be  recorded  in  the 
prosaic  journals  of  the  fur  companies. 

The  Escape  of  Hugh  Glass 

The  miraculous  escape  of  Hugh  Glass  well  pic- 
tures the  endurance  and  suffering  of  these  men. 
Glass  was  connected  with  Andrew  Henry's  party  in 
the  expedition  to  the  Yellowstone.  While  he  was 
out  hunting  somewhere  along  the  Grand  River,  a 
grizzly  bear  dashed  out  of  a  thicket,  threw  him  to 
the  earth,  tore  out  a  mouthful  of  his  flesh,  and  turn- 
ing, gave  it  to  her  cubs.  Glass  sought  to  escape, 
but  instantly  she  was  again  upon  him.  Seizing  him 
by  the  shoulder  she  inflicted  dangerous  wounds  on 
hands  and  arms.  At  this  moment  some  of  his  com- 
panions arrived  and  killed  the  bear.  Although 
still  alive,  Glass  was  so  terribly  mangled  that  it  was 
not  believed  he  could  possibly  survive.  They  were 
in  hostile  Indian  country,  and  it  was  necessary  the 
party  should  proceed  without  delay.  Finally, 
Major  Henry,  by  offering  a  reward,  induced  two  of 
the  men  to  remain  with  Glass,  while  the  others 
pressed  forward.  One  of  the  two  was  named  Fitz- 
gerald, and  the  other,  a  mere  boy,  may  have  been 
James  Bridger,  later  a  famous  borderer.  They 
remained  with  the  wounded  hunter  five  days.  Then, 
despairing  of  his  recovery,  yet  seeing  no  prospect 
of  immediate  death,  they  left  him  to  his  fate,  taking 

[98] 


INCIDENTS  DURING  THE  FUR  TRADE 

with  them  his  rifle  and  all  accoutrements.  Reach- 
ing the  main  party  they  reported  him  dead. 

But  Glass  was  not  dead.  Reviving,  he  crawled 
to  a  spring.  Close  beside  it  he  found  wild  cherries 
and  buffalo  berries  on  which  he  lived,  slowly  re- 
covering his  strength,  until  at  last  he  ventured  to 
strike  out  on  his  long  and  lonely  journey.  His  ob- 
jective point  was  Fort  Kiowa,  on  the  Missouri 
River,  a  hundred  miles  away.  He  started  with 
hardly  strength  enough  to  drag  one  limb  after  the 
other,  with  no  provisions  or  means  of  securing  any, 
and  in  a  hostile  country  where  he  would  be  the  help- 
less victim  of  any  straying  savage.  But  love  of  life, 
and  a  growing  desire  for  revenge  on  those  who  had 
deserted  him,  urged  him  to  the  effort.  Fortune 
seemed  with  him.  He  came  to  where  wolves  were 
harrying  a  buffalo  calf.  He  let  them  kill  it,  and 
then,  frightening  them  away,  appropriated  the 
meat,  eating  as  best  he  could  without  either  knife 
or  fire.  Bearing  all  he  could  with  him,  he  pushed 
resolutely  forward,  and,  after  great  distress  and 
hardship,  attained  Fort  Kiowa. 

Before  his  wounds  healed,  Glass  was  again  in 
the  field,  starting  east  with  a  party  of  trappers 
bound  down  the  Missouri.  When  nearing  the 
Mandan  villages  he  decided  to  walk  across  where 
the  river  made  a  bend.  Here  luck  was  with  him,  as 
the  boats  were  attacked  by  Aricara  Indians,  and  all 
those  on  board  killed.  Glass,  too  feeble  to  fight, 
had  a  narrow  escape,  and  was  taken  by  friendly 
Mandans  to  Tilton's  Fort.  His  one  purpose  at  this 

[99] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

time  was  vengeance  on  those  two  who  had  deserted 
him  in  the  mountains.  Thus  inspired,  he  left  Til- 
ton's  the  same  night,  plunged  into  the  wilderness, 
travelled  alone  for  thirty-eight  days  through  hostile 
Indian  country,  and  at  last  reached  Henry's  Fort, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Horn.  Here  he  discovered 
that  the  men  he  sought  had  gone  east.  Still  seeking 
them,  he  at  once  accepted  an  opportunity  to  carry 
a  despatch  to  Fort  Atkinson. 

Adventures  of  Four  Trappers 

Four  men  started  with  him,  and  they  left  the 
Big  Horn,  February  28,  1824.  They  went  on  foot, 
first  into  the  valley  of  the  Powder,  and  then  across 
the  divide  into  the  valley  of  the  Platte.  Here  they 
made  skin  boats,  and  floated  down  the  stream  until 
they  got  beyond  the  foot-hills  onto  the  open  prairie. 
Suddenly  they  ran  into  a  band  of  Aricaras,  with 
whom  they  attempted  to  hold  council.  The  sav- 
ages made  a  treacherous  attack,  and  killed  two  of 
the  men;  but,  almost  by  a  miracle,  Glass  managed 
to  get  away,  although  he  lost  all  his  equipment  ex- 
cepting a  knife  and  a  flint.  He  struck  out  again 
alone  for  the  nearest  post,  Fort  Kiowa.  It  was  at  a 
season  when  buffalo  calves  were  young,  so  he  had 
plenty  of  meat,  and  his  flint  gave  him  fire.  In  fif- 
teen days'  travel  he  made  the  fort,  and,  at  the  very 
first  opportunity  went  down  the  river  again.  This 
time  he  reached  Fort  Atkinson  in  safety,  arriving 
there  in  June,  1824.  Apparently  his  desire  for  re- 
venge had  ceased,  as  he  made  no  further  effort  to 

[ioo] 


INCIDENTS  DURING  THE  FUR  TRADE 

discover  those  who  had  deserted  him.  Glass  was 
finally  killed  by  Indians  on  the  Yellowstone  in 
1832. 

Another  pathetic  incident  of  the  wilderness  is 
illustrative  of  the  life  led  by  these  men.  Six  hun- 
dred and  sixteen  miles  from  Independence,  Mis- 
souri, on  what  was  later  the  Old  Oregon  Trail,  was 
a  landmark  known  as  Scott's  Bluffs.  The  name 
arose  from  one  of  the  most  melancholy  happenings 
in  the  history  of  the  fur  trade.  A  party  of  trappers 
were  descending  the  Platte  in  canoes,  when  their 
boats  were  upset  in  some  rapids,  and  all  their  sup- 
plies and  powder  lost.  Their  plight  was  desperate, 
and  rendered  more  so  by  the  serious  illness  of  one 
of  their  number,  named  Scott.  While  scarcely 
knowing  what  to  do  they  came  upon  a  fresh  trail  of 
a  party  of  white  men,  leading  down  the  river. 
Anxious  to  overtake  this  party,  and  Scott  not  being 
able  to  move,  they  deliberately  deserted  him  to  his 
fate,  reporting  later  that  he  had  died.  A  year  after, 
the  man's  skeleton  was  discovered  beside  these 
bluffs,  proving  that  the  wretched  sufferer  had  actu- 
ally crawled  more  than  forty  miles  before  he  finally 
surrendered  to  the  inevitable,  and  sank  down  in 
merciful  death. 

The  death  of  Jedediah  S.  Smith,  whose  remark- 
able adventures  while  exploring  a  route  to  Cali- 
fornia have  already  been  mentioned,  was  one  of  the 
tragedies  of  the  Plains.  Smith  was  in  many  respects 
a  remarkable  man,  deeply  religious,  of  undaunted 
courage,  and  untiring  energy.  He  enlisted  in  the  fur 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

trade  when  a  mere  boy,  and,  at  seventeen,  won  dis- 
tinction among  these  hardy  men  in  battle  with  the 
Aricaras.  After  Ashley's  retreat  Smith  carried 
despatches  to  Henry's  Fort  on  the  Yellowstone,  a 
mission  of  great  peril.  The  remainder  of  his  life 
was  passed  in  the  wilderness,  where  he  became  a 
recognized  leader.  In  1831  Smith,  in  connection 
with  his  old  fur  partners,  Jackson  and  Sublette,  de- 
cided to  engage  in  the  Santa  Fe  trade.  In  Missouri 
they  secured  an  outfit  with  twenty  wagons  and 
eighty  men,  and  started  out  through  Kansas.  Be- 
ing veterans  of  the  Plains  they  felt  no  doubt  of  get- 
ting through  safely,  and  everything  went  well  as 
far  as  the  ford  of  the  Arkansas.  Here  they  entered 
upon  the  desert  waste  lying  between  that  river  and 
the  Cimarron.  No  one  in  the  party  had  been  over 
the  route  before,  and  they  found  no  trail,  no  guid- 
ing landmark.  Mirages  deceived  them  and  led 
them  astray,  and  the  caravan  wandered  for  two 
days  without  water,  their  condition  becoming  des- 
perate. Smith  determined  to  ride  ahead  and  find  a 
way  for  the  others.  Following  a  buffalo  trail  he 
came  upon  the  Cimarron,  but  found  the  bed  of  the 
stream  dry.  Knowing  the  nature  of  such  rivers,  he 
scooped  out  a  hole  in  the  bottom,  which  slowly 
filled  with  water.  Stooping  down  to  drink,  never 
dreaming  of  danger,  he  was  mortally  wounded  by 
arrows  shot  by  skulking  Comanches.  He  staggered 
to  his  feet,  and  killed  two  of  his  assailants  before 
death  ended  the  fight.  His  companions,  after  much 

[102] 


INCIDENTS  IN  THE  EXPERIENCE  OF  EMIGRANTS 

A  MIRAGE  — A  WA'GON  TRAIN  —  A  FORD  OVER   A  RIVER 


INCIDENTS  DURING  THE  FUR  TRADE 

suffering,  reached  Santa  Fe,  but  their  leader  had 
paid  the  toll  of  the  wilderness. 

The  Trapper's  Characteristics 

It  is  difficult  in  these  later  days  to  comprehend 
the  nature  and  life  of  those  sturdy  wanderers  of 
mountain  and  plain,  the  early  trappers.  They  were 
soon  marked  by  their  environment,  and  developed 
a  peculiar  character.  The  nature  of  their  service 
had  its  effect  upon  physiognomy,  language,  habits, 
and  dress.  The  hard  life  of  the  trapper  impressed 
itself  on  all  his  features.  In  Chittenden's  words : 

"He  was  ordinarily  gaunt  and  spare,  browned  with  ex- 
posure, his  hair  long  and  unkempt,  which,  with  his  dress,  often 
made  it  difficult  to  distinguish  him  from  the  Indian.  The  con- 
stant peril  of  his  life,  and  the  necessity  of  unremitting  vigilance, 
gave  him  a  kind  of  piercing  look,  his  head  slightly  bent  forward 
and  his  deep  eyes  peering  from  under  a  slouch  hat,  or  whatever 
head-gear  he  might  possess,  as  if  studying  the  face  of  the  stranger 
to  learn  whether  friend  or  foe.  On  the  whole  he  impressed  one 
as  taciturn  and  gloomy,  and  his  life  did  to  some  extent  suppress 
gayety  and  tenderness.  He  became  accustomed  to  scenes  of  vio- 
lence and  death;  and  the  problem  of  self-preservation  was  of 
such  paramount  importance  that  he  had  but  little  time  to  waste 
upon  ineffectual  reflections." 

Among  these  men  habits  of  thrift  were  practi- 
cally unknown.  They  were  utterly  improvident, 
and  apparently  so  by  deliberate  choice.  They 
scorned  all  effort  at  economy,  and  were  always 
poor,  spending  every  cent  as  soon  as  it  was  received. 

The  earliest  of  the  trappers  to  push  out  beyond 
the  Missouri  were  probably  French,  of  the  class 

[103] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

known  as  "  free,"  that  is,  unconnected  with  any  of 
the  big  companies,  working  one  or  two  together 
independently,  and  selling  wherever  they  could  get 
the  best  prices  for  their  furs.  But  the  French  trap- 
per preferred  the  open  Plains,  and  only  occasionally 
could  be  induced  to  follow  his  trade  among  the 
gloomy  mountain  defiles.  With  few  exceptions  the 
mountain  trapper  was  of  American  blood  and  train- 
ing. Before  the  War  of  1812  trapping  in  the  fast- 
nesses of  the  Rockies  was  a  venture  in  which  only 
hostile  Indians  and  the  rough  nature  of  the  country 
were  to  be  considered.  After  that  time  it  became 
largely  a  struggle  for  supremacy  between  the  or- 
ganized fur  companies  of  New  York,  St.  Louis, 
and  Mackinaw.  Lisa,  Henry,  Ashley,  the  Sub- 
lettes,  Campbell,  Fitzpatrick,  Bridger,  each  in 
turn,  crept  up  the  Missouri,  or  struggled  across  the 
Plains;  each  had  from  one  hundred  to  three  hun- 
dred men  behind  him,  and  each  one  was  eager  to 
outwit  the  others,  jealous  and  suspicious  of  every 
stranger.  The  silent  mountain  wilderness  hid  many 
a  deed  of  violence  and  treachery.  But  this  was  in- 
variably the  work  of  the  company  men.  From  the 
beginning  to  the  end  of  the  fur  trade  the  "  free 
trappers"  formed  a  class  by  themselves.  Their 
story  is  in  every  way  honorable.  Agnes  C.  Laut  epi- 
tomizes it  well  in  her  "  Story  of  the  Trapper  ": 

"The  crime  of  corrupting  natives  can  never  be  laid  to  the 
free  trapper.  He  carried  neither  poison  nor  what  was  worse 
than  poison  to  the  Indian  —  whiskey  —  among  the  native  tribes. 
The  free  trapper  lived  on  good  terms  with  the  Indian,  because 

[104] 


INCIDENTS  DURING  THE  FUT  TRADE 

his  safety  depended  on  the  Indian.  Regenades  like  Bird,  the 
deserter  from  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  or  Rose,  who  aban- 
doned the  Astorians,  or  Beckwourth  of  apocryphal  fame,  might 
cast  off  civilization  and  become  Indian  chiefs,  but,  after  all, 
these  men  were  not  guilty  of  half  so  hideous  crimes  as  the  great 
fur  companies  of  boasted  respectability.  Wyeth  of  Boston,  and 
Captain  Bonneville  of  the  army,  whose  underlings  caused  such 
murderous  slaughter  among  the  Root  Diggers,  were  not  free 
trappers  in  the  true  sense  of  the  term.  Wyeth  was  an  enthusi- 
ast who  caught  the  fever  of  the  wilds;  and  Captain  Bonneville 
a  gay  adventurer,  whose  men  shot  down  more  Indians  in  one 
trip  than  all  the  free  trappers  of  America  shot  in  a  century.  As 
for  the  desperado  Harvey,  his  crimes  were  committed  under  the 
walls  of  the  American  Fur  Company's  fort.  McLellan  and 
Crooks  and  John  Day  —  before  they  joined  the  Astorians  —  and 
Boone  and  Carson  and  Colter,  are  names  that  stand  for  the 
true  type  of  free  trapper." 

Fights  between  Whites  and  Indians. 

During  these  years  of  exploration  and  trading, 
while  the  land  yet  remained  a  wilderness  wandered 
over  only  by  little  parties  of  free  or  employed  trap- 
pers, the  Great  Plains  and  the  waters  bordering 
them  were  the  scene  of  certain  events  of  sufficient 
historic  importance  to  warrant  brief  mention.  The 
first  recorded  fight  between  Americans  and  Indians 
in  this  region  took  place  in  September,  1807,  at  tne 
Aricara  villages  on  the  Missouri.  Here  Ensign 
Pryor  of  the  Army,  with  fifty  men,  endeavoring  to 
escort  a  Mandan  chief  back  to  his  tribe,  was  at- 
tacked by  Aricaras  on  shore,  and  compelled  to  re- 
treat after  fifteen  minutes  of  hot  fighting.  The  loss 
of  the  whites  was  three  killed  and  ten  wounded,  one 
mortally.  This  point  on  the  river  was  later  the 

[105] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

scene  of  various  conflicts,  the  most  serious  being  the 
attack  on  Ashley's  men  in  June,  1823.  This  battle 
was  fought  partly  on  land  and  partly  on  water,  and 
was  practically  a  defeat  for  the  whites,  who  lost 
fourteen  killed  and  about  as  many  wounded.  It 
resulted  in  an  army  expedition  under  Colonel  Leav- 
enworth  being  despatched  up  the  river.  A  three 
days'  battle  was  waged  in  which  neither  side  could 
claim  victory.  A  treaty  of  peace  was  patched  up, 
but  the  Aricaras  continued  troublesome  all  through 
the  years  of  the  fur  trade. 

Earliest  Steamboats  on  the  Upper  Missouri 

In  1826,  Ashley,  going  West  with  a  party  by 
way  of  the  Platte,  took  with  him  a  six-pounder 
wheeled  cannon  all  the  way  to  Utah  Lake.  This  is 
believed  to  be  the  first  wheeled  vehicle  to  cross  the 
Plains  north  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail.  In  1831  the 
first  steamboat  to  navigate  the  upper  Missouri  left 
St.  Louis.  This  was  the  "Yellowstone,"  Captain 
Young.  It  proceeded  as  far  as  Fort  Tecumseh. 
The  following  year  this  boat  succeeded  in  reaching 
Fort  Union  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone,  and 
by  1859  steamers  had  pushed  up  as  far  as  Fort  Ben- 
ton,  near  where  the  Teton  joins  the  Missouri. 

Introduction  of  Smallpox 

In  1837  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  northern  Plains 
were  visited  by  the  plague  of  smallpox.  It  raged 
with  fearful  effect  among  the  Aricaras,  Mandans, 
and  Assiniboines,  spreading  westward  to  the  Crows 

[106] 


INCIDENTS  DURING  THE  FUR  TARDE 

and  Blackfeet.  The  scourge  is  said  to  have  been  in- 
troduced by  the  passage  of  the  annual  steamboat 
of  the  American  Fur  Company,  the  "St.  Pet'ers," 
which  had  several  cases  on  board.  The  Mandans 
suffered  most  severely,  only  about  thirty  remaining 
alive,  and  they  mostly  boys  and  old  men.  Chitten- 
den  estimates  the  total  loss  in  the  several  tribes  at- 
tacked at  more  than  fifteen  thousand,  which,  con- 
sidering the  probable  original  population,  makes  a 
mortality  almost  without  parellel  in  the  history  of 
plagues.  A  writer  of  the  time  said:  "The  de- 
stroying angel  has  visited  the  unfortunate  sons  of 
the  wilderness  with  terrors  never  before  known,  and 
has  converted  the  extensive  hunting  grounds,  as 
well  as  the  peaceful  settlements  of  these  tribes,  into 
desolate  and  boundless  cemeteries." 


[107] 


CHAPTER  IX 
BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRADE 

Early  Adventurers  in  the  Santa  Fe  Trade 

SOME  time  between  1609  and  1617  the  Span- 
iards of  Mexico  came  northward  and  estab- 
lished the  town  of  Santa  Fe.  For  two  hundred 
years  it  was  the  centre  of  Indian  strife,  being  aban- 
doned and  reoccupied,  yet  ever  advancing  slowly 
in  importance.  Spanish  traders  spread  out  over  the 
wide  Plains  to  the  north  and  east,  making  their  in- 
fluence felt  as  far  as  the  Platte,  and  penetrating 
deeply  into  the  canyons  of  the  Rockies.  By  the  time 
Americans  began  to  show  an  interest  in  Santa  Fe 
the  settlement  had  grown  to  a  population  of  about 
three  thousand,  and  had  become  the  centre  of  Span- 
ish political,  military,  and  commercial  power  on 
the  Mexican  frontier. 

The  Mallet  brothers,  travelling  overland  from 
the  Aricara  villages,  were  probably  the  first  ad- 
venturers to  invade  Santa  Fe  from  the  East.  They 
arrived  there  in  July,  1739,  and  returned  the  next 
spring  by  various  routes;  but  their  venturesome 
journey  was  without  direct  results.  The  earliest 
expedition  organized  for  purposes  of  trade  into 
Spanish  territory  was  under  French  auspices,  prob- 
ably some  time  previous  to  1763.  The  traders  trans- 
ported a  variety  of  merchandise  up  the  Arkansas  to 
about  the  neighborhood  of  Pueblo,  where  they 

[108] 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRADE 

opened  a  temporary  store,  trading  with  both  In- 
dians and  Spaniards.  The  Spanish  authorities, 
however,  soon  drove  them  out.  It  is  believed  that 
other  similar  expeditions  crossed  the  Texas  Plains, 
but  there  is  no  historical  record  of  them. 

The  Morrison  Expedition 

The  next  commercial  expedition  originated  in 
St.  Louis  almost  immediately  after  the  transfer  of 
Louisiana  to  the  United  States.  It  was  organized 
by  William  Morrison,  of  Kaskaskia,  Illinois,  his 
agent  being  a  French  Creole  named  Baptiste  La 
Lande.  The  Frenchman  made  a  success  of  the 
venture,  but  the  profit  was  not  for  Morrison,  who 
waited  long  but  in  vain  for  his  return.  La  Lande, 
carrying  his  goods  on  pack  animals,  took  a  long 
way  around,  ascending  the  Platte  River  to  the 
mountains,  and  then  skirting  their  eastern  base  to 
the  Spanish  settlements.  He  reached  Santa  Fe  in 
the  Summer  of  1804,  sold  his  goods,  married  a 
seftorita,  and  remained.  Lieutenant  Pike  met  him 
there  three  years  later,  apparently  contented,  thor- 
oughly at  home  among  the  Spaniards,  his  conscience 
untroubled. 

Less  than  a  year  after  La  Lande's  entry  into 
Santa  Fe  another  adventurer  drifted  down  there 
from  across  the  Plains.  This  was  James  Purcell,  a 
wandering  hunter,  originally  from  Kentucky.  Pur- 
cell  had  been  west  of  the  Missouri  for  three  years, 
engaged  in  a  variety  of  occupations,  and  in  the 
Spring  of  1805  found  himself  near  the  source  of  the 

[109] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

South  Platte  with  some  Indian  traders.  He  was 
sent  by  them  to  the  Spanish  settlements  to  seek  per- 
mission for  the  party  to  come  there  and  trade.  On 
his  way  south,  when  on  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Arkansas,  he  discovered  gold,  but  was  later  com- 
pelled to  throw  away  the  small  amount  gathered. 
Purcell  reached  Santa  Fe  in  June,  and  apparently 
liked  the  place,  as  he  remained  there,  making 
money  rapidly  by  working  as  a  carpenter.  A  year 
later  Pike  conducted  his  exploring  expedition  into 
the  New  Mexican  country,  the  details  of  which 
have  been  given  in  a  previous  chapter. 

Troubles  with  the  Spanish  Authorities 

The  animosity  engendered  by  Pike  stopped  the 
development  of  the  Santa  Fe  trade  for  several 
years.  It  was  too  risky  to  appeal  even  to  the  bold 
adventurers  of  the  border.  In  November,  1809, 
three  men,  Smith,  McClanahan,  and  Patterson,  left 
St.  Louis  for  the  Spanish  settlements.  They  had  a 
Mexican  guide,  but  were  never  again  heard  of.  Not 
until  1812  did  an  organized  American  trading  ex- 
pedition succeed  in  reaching  Santa  Fe,  and  its  re- 
ception was  most  discouraging.  It  was  composed 
of  twelve  members,  the  leaders  being  McKnight, 
Baird,  and  Chambers.  Their  journey  over  the 
prairies  was  comparatively  uneventful  until  the 
party  forded  the  Arkansas  and  entered  the  sacred 
territory  of  New  Spain.  Here  they  were  immedi- 
ately seized  by  the  authorities,  and  their  goods  con- 
fiscated. It  was  nine  years  before  the  unfortunate 

[i  10] 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRADE 

adventurers  were  released  from  the  rigors  of  a 
Mexican  prison. 

The  next  American  to  reach  Santa  Fe  appears 
to  have  been  Julius  de  Munn  of  St.  Louis,  a  part- 
ner of  A.  P.  Chouteau  in  the  Indian  trade  on  the 
upper  Arkansas.  These  two  left  St.  Louis  in  Sep- 
tember, 1815,  and  on  the  way  they  made  a  trade 
with  a  hunter  named  Phillebert  for  his  entire  out- 
fit of  furs  cached  in  the  mountains,  and  the  time  of 
his  men.  When  they  arrived  at  the  appointed 
rendezvous  the  engages  were  absent,  and  Indians 
reported  that  they  had  gone  south  into  Spanish 
territory.  De  Munn  started  after  them,  and  found 
them  very  comfortably  situated  at  Taos;  but  he 
pressed  on  to  the  capital,  with  the  intention  of  ask- 
ing the  Governor  for  permission  to  hunt  on  the 
headwaters  of  the  Rio  Grande.  He  found  the  Gov- 
ernor courteous,  but  unwilling  to  grant  such  a 
privilege  without  consulting  those  higher  in  author- 
ity. Unable  to  wait  for  a  final  decision,  De  Munn 
collected  his  men  and  returned  across  the  Arkansas 
to  Chouteau's  camp.  With  two  companions  he  went 
east  to  St.  Louis  the  last  of  February,  after  a  new 
outfit,  making  the  distance  in  forty-six  days.  The 
next  year  these  same  two  traders,  with  a  company  of 
forty-five  men,  were  hunting  in  the  Sangre  de 
Cristo  Range,  and  De  Munn  went  again  to  Santa 
Fe,  only  to  find  a  new  Governor,  and  a  very  chilly 
reception.  From  that  time  they  were  in  constant 
trouble  with  the  authorities,  and  on  May  24,  1817, 
they  were  arrested  by  Spanish  troops,  taken  to  Santa 

Cm] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

Fe,  fettered,  and  thrown  into  prison.  Finally,  with 
all  their  property  confiscated,  except  one  horse 
each,  the  unfortunate  party  were  released,  with 
strict  orders  to  leave  Spanish  territory.  They  ar- 
rived at  St.  Louis  in  September. 

This  treatment,  coupled  with  the  misfortunes 
of  three  years  before,  pretty  thoroughly  halted  all 
immediate  efforts  at  trading  with  Santa  Fe.  There 
is  some  reason  to  believe  that  adventurers  visited 
the  settlements  of  New  Mexico  during  this  period, 
but  they  did  not  leave  any  historical  records. 
A  trader  named  Meriwether  was  captured  by 
Spanish  troops  in  1819,  and  held  prisoner  for  some 
time.  Thirty  years  later  he  became  Governor  of 
New  Mexico.  But  practically  all  commercial  com- 
munication was  severed  between  the  two  countries 
until  1821,  when  the  Mexicans  threw  off  the  Span- 
ish yoke  and  seized  the  reins  of  government. 

Increase  of  Trade  after  Mexico  Became  Independent. 

This  change  resulted  in  the  release  of  all  Ameri- 
can prisoners,  and  opened  a  door  for  northern  trad- 
ers. They  were  not  slow  in  seizing  the  opportunity. 
William  Becknell,  of  Missouri,  was  the  first  to  con- 
duct a  successful  trading  expedition  to  Santa  Fe; 
he  is  also  known  as  the  father  of  the  famous  Santa 
Fe  Trail.  With  a  company  of  seventy  men,  he 
crossed  the  Missouri  at  Arrow  Rock  September  i, 
1822,  and  in  rapid  march  reached  the  upper  Ar- 
kansas the  last  of  the  month.  The  party  must  have 
halted  here  some  time,  as  it  was  the  middle  of 

[112] 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRADE 

November  before  they  arrived  at  Santa  Fe.  Here 
their  goods  were  sold  at  a  handsome  profit.  Beck- 
nell,  with  a  single  companion  named  McLaughlin, 
reached  St.  Louis  the  next  January,  but  his  men 
probably  remained  hunting  in  the  mountains. 

The  same  year  one  Jacob  Fowler  of  Kentucky 
led  an  independent  exploring  expedition,  starting 
from  Forth  Smith.  At  Glenn's  trading-post  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Verdigris,  he  was  joined  by  the  pro- 
prietor, who  acted  as  guide.  The  entire  party  of 
twenty  proceeded  up  the  north  bank  of  the  Ar- 
kansas. Glenn,  with  four  men,  went  ahead  as  far 
as  Santa  Fe,  where  he  was  well  received,  and  the 
others  soon  followed.  It  was  the  middle  of  July 
before  they  again  reached  the  American  settle- 
ments, bringing  back  with  them  a  number  of 
prisoners  released  by  the  Spaniards,  including  the 
members  of  McKnight's  party. 

The  success  of  these  expeditions  led  to  consider- 
able activity  along  the  border.  Braxton  Cooper 
and  Becknell  were  the  earliest  of  the  traders  to  get 
away,  and  both  made  successful  trips  in  1822.  The 
trip  of  the  latter  is  particularly  important,  because 
he  went  by  way  of  the  Cimarron  instead  of  follow- 
ing the  Arkansas  to  the  mountains,  as  had  formerly 
been  done.  This  took  him  across  a  grim  desert,  and 
was  a  notable  achievement.  On  this  journey  the 
first  wagons  were  taken  across  the  Plains.  It  was 
reported  that,  costing  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
each  in  Missouri,  these  wagons  brought  seven  hun- 
dred dollars  apiece  in  Santa  Fe.  This  achievement 

[113] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

was  accomplished  four  years  oefore  Ashley  dragged 
his  cannon  to  Salt  Lake,  and  eight  years  before  the 
first  wagons  crossed  the  more  northern  Plains. 

For  some  cause,  possibly  Indian  hostility,  little 
seems  to  have  been  accomplished  in  1823,  although 
a  party  of  thirty  under  Colonel  Cooper  made  the 
round  trip  successfully.  But  in  1824  the  commerce 
of  the  prairies  began  to  assume  important  propor- 
tions. From  that  date,  with  the  exception  of 
certain  periods  when  the  Indians  were  especially 
dangerous,  the  Santa  Fe  trade  constantly  increased, 
and  each  summer  saw  the  laden  caravans  moving 
slowly  westward  along  the  broad  Trail.  The  best 
equipped  and  organized  expedition  up  to  that  date 
crossed  the  Missouri  at  Franklyn  May  15,  1824. 
Le  Grande,  an  experienced  frontiersman,  was  in 
command,  and  in  his  party  were  eighty-one  men, 
one  hundred  and  fifty-six  horses  and  mules,  twenty- 
five  wagons,  and  thirty  thousand  dollars'  worth  of 
merchandise.  They  made  the  round  trip  to  Santa 
Fe  in  four  months  and  ten  days,  bringing  back  one 
hundred  and  eighty  thousand  dollars  in  gold  and 
silver,  and  ten  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  furs. 

Unfortunately,  from  now  on  we  are  enabled  to 
gain  merely  glimpses  of  events  occurring  along  the 
Trail.  Many,  encouraged  by  such  success,  rushed 
into  this  trade,  poorly  equipped  for  the  dangers  of 
the  route,  and  unacquainted  with  either  Indian  or 
Spanish  customs.  The  result  was  often  disastrous, 
leading  to  suffering,  loss,  and  death.  Small  parties 
became  the  prey  of  savages,  and  there  were  many 

[114] 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRADE 

instances  of  ill-guided  parties  wandering  from  the 
trail  in  search  of  a  shorter  route,  and  perishing 
miserably  in  the  desert.  Even  the  larger  and  ably 
commanded  companies  did  not  always  escape  scot- 
free.  In  1824  Braxton  Cooper,  on  his  third  trip, 
lost  two  men  by  Indian  attack;  and  "The  Missouri 
Intelligencer  "  contained  numerous  reports  of  lives 
sacrificed  along  the  Trail. 

Summary  of  the  Caravans  from  1825  to  1834 

The  following  is  Chittenden's  careful  summary 
of  the  caravans  from  1825  to  ^34,  as  gathered  from 
the  columns  of  various  papers  published  at  the  time. 
While  incomplete,  it  yet  vividly  pictures  the  im- 
portance of  the  trade,  the  number  engaged,  and  the 
perils  of  the  route.  It  contains  many  names  long 
identified  with  border  history: 

"  1825. —  Becknell  returned  from  Santa  Fe  June  I.  Marma- 
duke  left  Santa  Fe  May  31;  date  of  arrival  in  Franklin  not 
known. — Another  party  left  Santa  Fe  in  June,  arriving  in 
Franklin  August  I,  with  500  mules  and  horses;  pursued  usual 
route;  went  from  San  Miguel  to  Canadian;  down  this  stream 
300  miles;  thence  N.  E.  to  Arkansas  at  mouth  of  Little  Arkan- 
sas; thence  through  Osage  country  home;  were  roughly  han- 
dled by  Osages. —  May  16,  large  party,  105  men,  34  wagons, 
240  mules  and  horses,  Augustus  Storrs,  newly  appointed  consul 
to  Santa  Fe,  Captain,  left  Fort  Osage  for  Santa  Fe;  party  re- 
turned by  detachments  at  various  times  and  by  different  routes 
during  fall ;  a  number,  among  them  Storrs,  remained. —  Another 
caravan  left  in  May  with  81  men,  200  horses  and  $30,000 
worth  of  goods;  no  further  record. —  A  party  of  Tennesseeans 
left  Jackson, Tenn.,  for  Santa  Fe  in  April;  returned  as  far  as 
Arkansas  River  with  some  of  the  above  parties  and  then  con- 
tinued down  that  stream. 

[115] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

"  1826. —  Early  in  April  a  party  arrived  in  Franklin  from 
Santa  Fe.  About  same  time  party  of  100  left  for  Santa  Fe. — 
About  June  I,  another  party  of  between  80  and  100  persons, 
with  wagons  and  carriages  of  every  description  left  Franklin 
for  Santa  Fe. —  June  9,  six  or  seven  new  and  substantial  wagons 
laden  with  goods  arrived  in  Franklin  en  route  for  Santa  Fe; 
owned  by  Mexican,  Mr.  Escudero,  whb  was  in  charge  of  them. 
This  was  about  the  beginning  of  Mexican  proprietorship  in 
trade,  which  monopolized  more  than  half  the  business  in  1843. 
—  It  appears  that  in  September  of  this  year  a  party  under  Ceran 
St.  Vrain  (if  we  may  trust  Inman)  set  out  for  Santa  Fe,  ar- 
riving there  in  November;  in  this  party  was  a  runaway  boy,  Kit 
Carson,  then  17  years  old. 

"  1827. —  Spring  caravan  from  Franklin  had  52  wagons  and 
105  men;  Ezekiel  Williams,  captain;  August  Storrs  and  David 
Workman  along;  the  largest  party  yet;  the  only  outgoing  ex- 
pedition mentioned,  but  of  course  there  were  others;  about  60 
of  the  party  returned  about  Sept.  30,  with  800  head  of  stock, 
valued  at  $28,000;  absent  four  months;  cleared  40  per  cent. — 
May  31,  *  party  returned  from  Santa  Fe  successful. —  July  19, 
a  party  of  twenty  arrived  two  days  before  from  Santa  Fe  with 
several  hundred  mules  and  $30,000  specie. 

"  1828. —  About  ist  of  May  caravan  left  Franklin  for  Santa 
Fe  with  $150,000  worth  of  merchandise  and  150  persons. — 
May  1 8,  a  party  was  at  Blue  Springs  en  route  to  Santa  Fe,  with 
37  wagons,  and  $41,000  worth  of  goods. —  September  12,  70  to 
80  persons  arrived  in  Franklin  from  Santa  Fe;  venture  profita- 
ble, but  lost  two  men,  Munroe  and  McNees. —  Oct.  28,  party 
of  25  arrived  in  Franklin  from  Santa  Fe;  had  been  attacked 
by  Indians,  who  stole  all  their  animals,  killed  John  Means  of 
Franklin,  and  compelled  them  to  cache  their  specie. —  Bent's 
Fort  erected  this  year;  according  to  some  authorities,  the  fol- 
lowing year. 

"  1829. —  Spring  caravan  consisted  of  about  70  persons  and 
35  wagons;  Charles  Bent  captain;  military  escort  under  Major 
Riley;  Samuel  C.  Lamme  killed  en  route;  return  cargo  valued 
at  $34,000;  reached  Franklin  early  in  November. —  There  seems 
to  have  been  no  other  caravan  this  year. 

[n6] 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRADE 

"  1830. —  About  May  22,  party  of  120  with  60  wagons  left 
Franklin  for  Santa  Fe,  returning  in  October  with  fair  profits. 

"  1831. —  May  15,  large  party,  of  which  Josiah  Gregg  was 
a  member,  numbering  nearly  200  and  including  some  ladies,  100 
wagons,  two  small  cannon,  and  $200,000  worth  of  goods,  left 
Independence,  Mo.,  and  having  organized  at  Council  Grove,  left 
that  place  May  27;  crossed  the  Arkansas  June  13,  and  arrived 
at  San  Miguel  in  due  course. —  May  21,  there  was  preparing 
at  Franklin  a  large  party  for  Santa  Fe  with  about  $200,000 
worth  of  goods. —  Some  of  the  members  had  put  their  entire 
property  in  the  venture. —  One  of  the  above  parties  returned  in 
October,  after  a  successful  trip. —  October  20,  a  party  of  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  persons  passed  Columbia,  Mo.,  for  Santa  Fe,  most- 
ly from  Eastern  States.  It  was  this  year  that  Smith,  Jackson, 
and  Sublette  made  their  unfortunate  journey  across  the  plains, 
in  which  Smith  lost  his  life. 

"  1832. —  Principal  caravan  under  Charles  Bent;  date  of  de- 
parture not  given;  returned  about  November  I,  with  $100,000 
specie  and  $90,000  other  property. —  A  party  returning  in  the 
Fall  and  Winter  of  this  year  attacked  by  Indians  on  Canadian, 
January  I,  and  lost  all  their  property  and  one  man. 

"  !833. —  June  20,  Spring  caravan  at  Diamond  Grove,  184 
men,  93  wagons,  under  Charles  Bent;  November  9,  100  of 
above  party  returned  with  $100,000  specie  and  large  amount  of 
other  property. —  Gregg  returned  this  Fall. 

"1834. —  May  24,  caravan  of  about  125  wagons;  Gregg 
probably  with  it ;  part  of  caravan  under  Captain  Kerr  left  Santa 
Fe  September  10,  arrived  home  in  October,  140  men  and  40 
wagons,  with  returns  amounting  to  over  $200,000. 

"  The  record  of  the  caravans  during  the  following  years  is 
very  obscure,  although  it  is  certain  that  they  continued  as  here- 
tofore. Various  causes  contributed  to  the  deficiency  of  record." 

Government  Survey  for  a  Road  to  New  Mexico 

Even  as  early  as  1825  this  trade  had  assumed 
proportions  to  arouse  Congressional  action,  ten 
thousand  dollars  being  appropriated  for  marking 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

the  line  of  a  road  from  the  Missouri  River  to  New 
Mexico,  and  twenty  thousand  dollars  for  securing 
concessions  from  the  Indians.  A  peace  commis- 
sion was  appointed,  and  J.  C.  Brown  selected  as 
surveyor.  Brown  duly  surveyed  and  marked  the 
road  by  raised  mounds  from  Fort  Osage  to  the 
Arkansas,  following  the  course  of  the  old  Trail. 
Instead  of  cutting  across  the  Cimarron  Desert,  in 
accordance  with  the  short  Trail  already  used  by  the 
traders,  this  Government  road  was  run  up  the  Ar- 
kansas to  Chouteau  Island,  and  then  headed  di- 
rectly south  to  Taos.  This  route  being  so  much 
longer,  the  traders  naturally  refused  to  use  it.  Con- 
sequently the  survey  was  of  but  little  practical 
value. 

Opposition  of  Indians  to  the  Traders 

From  the  very  beginning  there  was  trouble  with 
Indians.  In  a  certain  sense  what  is  now  Kansas 
was  neutral  ground  to  the  surrounding  tribes, 
hunted  over  by  Pawnees,  Comanches,  Cheyennes, 
Arapahoes,  and  Kiowas,  but  these  were  all  bitterly 
opposed  to  the  white  invasion,  and  their  raids  on 
the  slow-moving  caravans  were  incessant.  Few 
small  outfits  ever  got  through  without  a  fight,  and 
many  of  the  larger  were  robbed,  and  their  stock 
stampeded.  Any  straggling  from  the  column  was 
almost  certain  to  result  in  the  sudden  dash  down- 
ward of  Indian  horsemen.  All  the  surrounding 
tribes  were  involved  in  these  attacks,  but  the  Co- 
manches were  most  feared,  and  most  frequently 
named  as  the  guilty  marauders. 

[118] 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRADE 

The  passage  became  so  dangerous  that  in  1829 
Government  troops  were  ordered  to  escort  the 
spring  caravan  as  far  as  the  Mexican  frontier.  Four 
companies  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  under  Major  Ben- 
net  Riley,  were  assigned  to  this  duty;  leaving  Round 
Grove  early  in  June,  they  were  more  than  a  month 
on  the  march  before  reaching  Chouteau  Island, 
where  they  encamped  to  await  the  return  of  the 
traders.  Evidently  the  Comanches  had  been  on 
watch  all  the  way,  for  scarcely  had  the  now  un- 
guarded caravan  disappeared  over  the  sand  hills 
into  Mexican  territory,  when  it  was  fiercely  at- 
tacked. A  hard  fight  ensued,  but  Riley  crossed  the 
river  with  his  men,  drove  off  the  Indians,  and  es- 
corted the  wagons  for  another  day's  march.  Not 
daring  to  take  an  armed  force  any  farther  into 
Mexico,  he  returned  to  the  Arkansas,  and  went  into 
camp,  agreeing  to  wait  there  until  October  10  for 
the  return  of  the  traders. 

The  troops  passed  a  summer  full  of  excitement, 
being  constantly  annoyed  by  Indians  who  durst  not 
attack  openly.  The  tenth  of  October  came,  but  no 
returning  caravan.  Waiting  one  more  day  in  vain 
for  its  appearance  Riley  mustered  his  men,  and  the 
column  began  the  long  march  eastward  across  the 
now  brown  prairie.  Scarcely  had  they  started  when 
the  caravan  appeared.  It  was  escorted  by  Mexican 
troops  under  command  of  Colonel  Viscara,  and  a 
few  days  before  had  had  a  sharp  fight  with  Co- 
manches, which  caused  delay.  The  soldiers  of  the 
two  countries  met  cordially,  and  a  review  was  held 

[119] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

out  on  the  Plain,  the  rough  frontiersmen  of  the 
caravan  watching  the  military  evolutions  with 
great  interest.  "  Never,"  says  Chittenden,  "since 
the  days  when  Coronado's  soldiers  penetrated  to  the 
Kansas  Plains,  had  the  barren  and  treeless  prairie 
witnessed  a  more  interesting  spectacle."  Three  days 
were  passed  thus  in  fraternal  intercourse,  and  then 
the  Americans  moved  eastward  on  their  weary 
march. 

This  policy  of  furnishing  escorts  did  not  greatly 
commend  itself  to  the  Government,  and  was  not 
continued.  The  large  caravans  were  able  to  pro- 
tect themselves,  and  to  furnish  troops  for  every 
little  band  making  the  venture  was  impossible. 
Morever,  the  greatest  peril  of  attack  was  after 
crossing  the  Mexican  frontier.  Occasionally,  how- 
ever, troops  were  sent,  one  such  detachment  consist- 
ing of  sixty  dragoons  under  Captain  Wharton  in 
1834;  but  this  is  said  to  have  been  the  last  military 
escort  until  1843. 


[120] 


CHAPTER  X 
INCIDENTS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRAIL 

Value  of  the  Santa  Fe  Wagon  Traffic 

VERY  few  realize  to-day  the  value  of  the  trade 
which  during  those  years  was  carried  on  by 
means  of  wagon  and  pack  mules  across  the  prairies 
to  far-off  Santa  Fe.  At  one  time  it  rose  to  above 
$450,000  per  annum,  and  for  twenty-two  years, 
from  1822  to  1843  inclusive,  averaged  over  $130,000 
annually,  a  total  of  nearly  three  million  dollars. 
When  one  considers  the  disadvantages  under  which 
it  was  carried  on,  the  never-ceasing  perils  of  the 
way,  the  long  and  weary  distance  travelled,  the  un- 
certainty as  to  the  kind  of  reception  that  would  be 
granted  by  the  Mexican  officials,  and  the  limited 
capital  of  the  traders,  the  result  is  little  short  of 
amazing.  For  this  was  a  business  carried  on  by 
small  dealers.  No  great  company  ever  operated  on 
the  Santa  Fe  Trail.  Not  until  the  last  years  of  the 
trade  did  the  investments  average  as  high  as  one 
thousand  dollars  to  each  proprietor.  In  many  cases 
it  was  carried  on  entirely  upon  credit. 

Picture  of  a  Caravan 

The  long  journey  across  the  Plains  was  gener- 
ally full  of  interest,  and  occasionally  of  excitement 
and  danger.  The  Trail,  as  followed  by  nearly  all 

[121] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

caravans  after  the  first  year  of  experiment,  ex- 
tended from  Independence,  Missouri,  to  Santa  Fe, 
New  Mexico,  a  distance  of  seven  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five miles.  For  the  first  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  as  far  as  Council  Grove,  the  traders  usually 
travelled  independently,  as  the  route  led  through  a 
well-watered  prairie  country,  very  seldom  invaded 
by  hostile  Indians.  Here  they  halted  and  organ- 
ized into  a  caravan,  electing  various  officers  to  serve 
during  the  trip.  In  the  large  trains  these  were 
quite  numerous,  including  captain,  two  lieutenants, 
marshal,  clerk,  pilot,  commander  of  guards,  and 
occasionally  a  chaplain.  The  authority  of  these  of- 
ficers was,  however,  small,  and  much  of  the  loss  of 
life  occurred  from  lack  of  discipline.  The  draught 
animals  were  horses,  mules,  and  oxen,  and,  as  it 
was  necessary  for  all  to  keep  together,  progress  was 
slow,  rarely  averaging  more  than  fifteen  miles  a 
day.  The  location  of  water  generally  determined 
the  extent  of  a  day's  march.  As  to  the  personnel, 
every  kind  and  degree  of  man  was  usually  present, 
—  sober  representatives  of  business,  rough  frontiers- 
men, profane  "bull-whackers"  and  "mule-skin- 
ners," reckless  adventurers,  travellers  seeking  new 
experience,  Indians,  and  Mexicans.  All  were  for 
the  time  upon  a  common  level.  "  The  wild  and 
motley  aspect  of  the  caravan,"  observes  Gregg,  in 
his  "  Commerce  of  the  Prairies,"  "  would  have 
formed  an  excellent  subject  for  an  artist's  pencil." 


[122] 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRAIL 

The  Route 

Fully  organized  and  equipped,  the  wagons 
stretching  out  in  long  line  and  well  guarded  by 
men  on  foot  and  horseback,  the  caravan  started 
forth  from  the  pleasant  camp  at  Council  Grove 
upon  the  second  stage  of  its  advance.  This  took 
them  to  the  ford  of  the  Arkansas,  known  then  as  the 
Cimarron  Crossing,  about  where  Fort  Dodge  was 
subsequently  located.  As  they  slowly  moved  for- 
ward, the  nature  of  the  country  began  to  change, 
and  they  emerged  from  the  beautiful  prairies  onto 
the  arid  plains,  while  with  every  step  they  were 
exposed  to  the  peril  of  Comanche  and  Pawnee 
raiders.  The  points  of  interest  on  the  way,  usually 
marking  camping-places,  were  Diamond  Springs, 
Lost  Spring,  Cottonwood  and  Turkey  Creeks,  the 
Little  Arkansas,  and  Cow  Creek.  The  main  stream 
of  the  Arkansas  was  struck  about  the  site  of  the 
present  town  of  Ellinwood,  the  trail  running  up 
the  left  bank  of  that  stream.  On  the  way  it  passed 
Walnut  Creek,  and  came  to  Pawnee  Rock,  long 
considered  the  most  dangerous  point  on  the  route. 
This  landmark  was  of  sandstone,  about  twenty  feet 
high,  and  stood  to  the  right  of  the  trail,  two  miles 
from  the  river.  This  was  the  scene  of  much  des- 
perate Indian-fighting  throughout  the  history  of 
the  caravans.  Beyond  Pawnee  Rock  the  travellers 
passed  Ash  Creek,  Pawnee  Fork,  Coon  Creek,  and 
"  The  Caches,"  so  named  because  two  early  traders, 
Chambers  and  Biard,  were  obliged  to  hide  their 

[123] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

goods  there  in  1822.  Just  beyond  this  they  came 
to  the  ford  across  the  Arkansas  twenty  miles  above 
the  present  Dodge  City,  and  three  hundred  and 
ninety-two  miles  from  Independence,  their  journey 
half  done. 

The  crossing  was  dangerous  because  of  quick- 
sand, the  river  bottom  very  treacherous.  Teams 
were  doubled,  and  the  wagons  taken  across  on  a 
run.  From  now  on  the  trail  ran  over  Mexican  soil 
and  led  across  a  barren,  desolate  desert  of  con- 
stantly shifting  sand.  After  leaving  Lower  Spring, 
some  sixty  miles  south  from  the  Arkansas,  the  cara- 
van entered  upon  the  most  dreaded  section  of  their 
route.  For  fifty-eight  miles,  requiring  from  two 
to  three  days  to  traverse,  there  was  no  water.  Chit- 
tenden  says : 

"In  the  earlier  years  the  route  was  very  uncertain,  for  the 
wagons  made  no  impression  on  the  hard,  dry  soil,  and  no  trail 
was  developed.  This  fact,  and  a  total  absence  of  landmarks, 
made  the  danger  of  getting  lost  a  very  serious  one,  for  in  that 
waterless  country  a  day  or  two  of  lost  time  might  prove  disas- 
trous. This  difficulty  was  removed  in  1834  by  a  fortunate  cir- 
cumstance. It  happened  that  year,  quite  unusually,  that  there 
were  continuous  and  heavy  rains  while  the  caravan  was  pass- 
ing this  part  of  the  route.  The  wagons  cut  a  distinct  furrow 
on  the  softened  turf,  wrhich  was  followed  by  subsequent  cara- 
vans until  it  developed  into  a  permanent  road.  It  is  visible  in 
many  places  to  the  present  day." 

The  "Old"  Trail 

This  portion  of  the  old  Trail  was  mostly  in  what 
is  now  southwestern  Kansas,  passing  near  localities 
now  known  as  Ivanhoe,  Conductor,  Example,  and 

[124] 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRAIL 

Zionville.  Beyond  this  the  route  followed  the  val- 
ley of  the  Cimarron  for  eighty-five  miles,  to  Mc- 
Nees'  Creek,  so  named  in  memory  of  McNees, 
who,  with  Monroe,  was  killed  here  in  1828.  From 
this  point  the  trail  again  became  clear  and  easily 
followed,  although  still  running  through  a  desert 
country.  Indeed,  so  little  has  the  region  changed 
between  the  Cimarron  and  Santa  Clara  Spring,  a 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  seventeen  miles,  that 
over  much  of  the  way  the  old  trail  can  still  be  easily 
followed.  It  was  at  the  latter  point  that  the  moun- 
tain branch  from  Bent's  Fort  on  the  Upper  Ar- 
kansas united  with  the  main  trail.  The  remainder 
of  the  distance  to  Santa  Fe,  one  hundred  and  thir- 
teen miles,  is  almost  exactly  covered  by  the  rails  of 
the  Atchison,  Topeka,  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad.  In 
the  old  days  the  first  abode  of  white  men  encoun- 
tered after  leaving  Council  Grove  was  at  Rio  Gal- 
linas,  seventy  miles  from  Santa  Fe,  the  first 
settlement  being  San  Miguel. 

Tragical  Incidents 

Almost  every  mile  of  this  route  became  during 
those  years  of  travel  a  scene  of  tragedy  and  suffer- 
ing. Few  of  these  incidents  have  become  matter  of 
record,  and  the  years  have  blotted  out  the  memory 
of  names,  the  deed  of  sacrifice  or  daring.  From 
the  pages  of  Chittenden,  Gregg,  and  Inman  we 
may  cull  a  few  from  among  the  many.  While  the 
1826  caravan  was  slowly  toiling  up  the  Arkansas 
a  man  named  Broadus  accidentally  discharged  a 

[125] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

rifle  into  his  arm.  It  was  a  dangerous  wound,  but 
the  man  delayed  attending  to  it,  until  no  other  hope 
for  saving  his  life  was  left  than  amputation.  One 
of  his  companions,  believed  to  be  Kit  Carson,  per- 
formed the  operation  with  the  only  instruments  at 
hand,  a  handsaw,  a  butcher  knife,  and  an  iron  bolt. 
This  rude  surgery  proved  effective,  and  in  a  few 
weeks  the  patient,  constantly  travelling  with  the 
caravan,  was  sound  and  well. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  a  tragedy 
on  the  Cimarron  in  which  McNees  and  Monroe 
lost  their  lives.  No  one  ever  knew  the  exact 
circumstances,  but  it  is  believed  that  the  men  having 
fallen  asleep,  the  Indians  crept  up  and  shot  them 
with  their  own  guns.  McNees  was  discovered 
dead,  but  Monroe  lived  while  the  wagon  train  ad- 
vanced forty  miles.  While  they  were  burying 
him,  somewhere  in  the  lonely  valley  of  the  Cimar- 
ron, a  party  of  Indians  appeared  across  the  river. 
They  were  apparently  friendly  and  sought  a  parley, 
but  the  white  men,  aroused  by  the  death  of  two  of 
their  number,  fired,  and  killed  all  but  one. 

This  same  year,  1828,  chronicles  another  death 
by  violence  upon  the  trail.  A  small  caravan,  con- 
sisting of  twenty-one  men,  one  hundred  and  five 
mules,  and  five  wagons,  was  bound  East.  At  the 
upper  Cimarron  Springs  they  suddenly  found  them- 
selves completely  surrounded  by  Comanches,  who 
insolently  ordered  them  to  camp  for  the  night.  Be- 
lieving obedience  would  mean  destruction,  the  little 
body  began  pushing  resolutely  forward.  The  In- 

[126] 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRIAL 

dians  at  once  attacked,  charging  fiercely  upon  the 
rear  guard,  composed  of  Captain  John  Means  and 
two  men  named  Ellison  and  Bryant.  These  twx) 
escaped,  but  Captain  Means  was  shot  down,  and 
scalped  while  yet  alive.  Unable  to  aid  him,  the 
caravan  pressed  on,  constantly  pursued  by  the  sav- 
ages and  fighting  for  every  mile.  Finally  they  were 
forced  to  abandon  their  wagons,  and,  taking  ten 
thousand  dollars  in  specie  with  them,  travelled  all 
night  and  day,  and  well  into  the  next  night,  when 
they  reached  the  Arkansas.  Here  they  cached  the 
specie,  and  pressed  on  to  Walnut  Creek  so  exhausted 
they  could  hardly  travel.  Five  managed  to  reach 
Independence,  where  a  rescue  party  was  organized. 
The  sufferers  were  found  scattered  along  the  trail 
all  nearly  dead  from  exhaustion  and  starvation. 

In  1833,  according  to  "The  Missouri  Republi- 
can," a  party  of  twelve  traders  were  attacked  on 
the  Canadian  River  by  a  large  force  of  Comanches. 
The  fight  lasted  thirty-two  hours,  the  whites  in- 
trenching themselves.  Two  men,  Mitchell  and 
Pratte,  were  killed.  The  subsequent  escape  of  the 
others  to  the  settlements  was  the  occasion  of  much 
suffering  and  hardship,  the  season  being  winter, 
and  many  of  them  wounded.  It  seems  to  be  a  fact, 
if  one  may  judge  from  the  paucity  of  reports  pub- 
lished, that  during  the  earlier  years  of  the  Trail, 
the  various  tribes  of  savages  through  whose  coun- 
try it  ran  were  not  particularly  hostile  to  the  whites. 
The  attacks  on  the  traders  were  comparatively  few, 
and  can  generally  be  traced  to  some  previous  atroc- 

[127] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

ity  perpetrated  upon  the  Indians.  Later,  it  is  true, 
war  raged  along  the  border,  and  the  Santa  Fe  Trail 
drank  deep  of  blood,  as  will  be  described  in  some 
of  the  following  pages,  but  during  the  passage  of 
the  trading  caravans  back  and  forth,  from  1825  to 
1840,  more  men  died  on  the  journey  from  disease 
than  from  Indian  attack.  Again  and  again  the 
wagons  rolled  over  the  long  route  without  any  ad- 
venture occurring  to  break  the  dull  monotony  of 
travel,  and,  except  for  the  constant  possibility  of 
peril,  the  march  became  a  business  routine. 

Hostility  of  Texans  to  Mexican  Caravans 

One  occurrence,  happening  just  outside  the  date 
limit  quoted  above,  needs  to  be  mentioned  here. 
This  was  the  expedition  of  Texans  to  the  Trail  for 
the  purpose  of  robbing  Mexican  traders.  Texas 
was  then  a  Republic,  and  its  people's  hatred  of  the 
Mexicans  waxed  strong.  In  1843  a  certain  Colonel 
Snively  led  some  two  hundred  men  across  the  des- 
erts to  the  Arkansas  for  the  purpose  of  attacking 
Mexican  caravans.  Here  he  was  joined  by  another 
party  of  Texans  under  a  man  named  Warfield,  who 
had  just  had  an  unpleasant  experience  in  his  attack 
on  the  Mexican  village  of  Mora.  His  men  had 
reached  the  Arkansas  on  foot,  and  pretty  thor- 
oughly demoralized.  These  two  worthies  advanced 
their  combined  forces  into  the  sand  hills  south  of 
the  river,  where  they  ambuscaded  some  of  General 
Armizo's  soldiers,  and  killed  eighteen,  without  suf- 
fering any  loss  themselves.  One  Mexican  got  away, 

[128] 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  SANTA  FE  TRAIL 

and  rode  south  with  his  news,  the  receipt  of  which 
caused  Kit  Carson  to  be  sent  back  up  the  Trail  to 
warn  an  approaching  caravan.  After  a  desperate 
ride  he  arrived  in  time  to  checkmate  the  Texans. 

All  the  Mexican  caravans  were  not  so  fortunate. 
Don  Antonio  Jose  Chavez  left  Santa  Fe  for  Inde- 
pendence in  February,  1843,  with  a  large  outfit, 
including  a  private  carriage  and  a  retinue  of  serv- 
ants. His  known  wealth  had  made  him  a  marked 
man,  and  a  plot  was  concocted  for  robbing  him, 
the  leader  being  a  Texan  named  McDaniel.  It 
was  at  Cow  Creek,  near  the  present  town  of  Hutch- 
inson,  Kansas,  that  they  lay  in  wait  for  their  victims. 
The  tragedy  was  soon  over,  the  employees  shot 
down  in  cold  blood,  while  the  Don  was  tortured 
until  he  revealed  his  treasure,  and  then  deliberately 
murdered.  But  unknown  to  the  murderers  one 
Mexican  teamster  escaped,  rode  furiously  across  the 
prairie  to  Leavenworth,  where  the  Government 
then  had  a  military  post,  and  immediately  returned 
guiding  a  detachment  of  United  States  troops.  On 
the  way  an  old  scout  and  plainsman  named  Hobbs 
was  met  with  and  pressed  into  service,  and,  inside 
of  four  days  the  avengers  had  overtaken  the  gang, 
who  were  unconscious  of  pursuit.  They  killed  one, 
and  made  the  others  prisoners.  After  trial  in  St. 
Louis,  some  were  hanged  and  others  imprisoned. 


[129] 


CHAPTER  XI 
EARLY  TRANSPORTATION  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Indian  Methods  of  Transportation 


earliest  method  of  transporting  goods 
A  across  the  Plains  must  have  been  upon  the 
shoulders  of  men,  yet  long  before  Cabega  de  Vaca 
wandered  through  his  ten  thousand  miles  of  wilder- 
ness in  search  of  Mexico,  the  Indians  of  the  Plains 
had  taken  a  step  upward,  and  learned  to  shift  their 
burdens  onto  the  backs  of  patient  dogs.  Castaneda, 
the  historian  of  Coronado's  expedition  to  the  buf- 
falo plains  in  1541,  writes:  "They  go  like  Arabs 
with  their  tents,  and  their  droves  of  dogs  harnessed 
with  saddle-cloths,  and  pack-saddles,  and  a  cinch. 
When  their  load  shifts,  the  dogs  howl  for  someone 
to  straighten  it  for  them."  One  hundred  years  later 
another  Spanish  wanderer,  Benavides,  writes: 

"I  cannot  refrain  from  mentioning  something  rather  in- 
credible and  ridiculous,  which  is  that  when  these  Indians  go  off 
to  trade  the  whole  rancherias  go,  with  their  women  and  chil- 
dren. They  live  in  tents  made  of  buffalo  hide,  very  thin  and 
tanned;  and  these  tents  they  carry  on  pack-trains  of  dogs,  har- 
nessed with  their  pack-saddles.  The  dogs  are  medium  sized,  and 
it  is  customary  to  have  five  hundred  dogs  in  one  pack  train,  one 
in  front  of  another;  and  thus  ihe  people  carry  their  merchan- 
dise laden,  which  they  barter  for  cotton  cloth,  and  other  things 
they  need." 

By  the  time  the  first  American  adventurers  had 
penetrated  beyond  the  Missouri,  the  horse  had  come 

[130] 


EARLY   TRANSPORTATION 

to  the  Indian,  and  been  broken  to  the  duties  of  a 
burden-bearer.  The  horse  came  from  the  South, 
gradually  overrunning  the  Plains  in  wild  bands, 
until  the  savage  tribes  as  far  north  as  the  Missouri 
were  well  supplied  with  them.  These  wild  horses 
were  the  descendants  of  those  Arabian  steeds 
brought  to  the  New  World  by  the  Spanish  con- 
querors of  Mexico.  As  we  think  of  their  probable 
number  ranging  the  Great  Plains  as  long  ago  as 
1750,  it  is  interesting  to  take  note  of  their  small  be- 
ginnings, when  Cortez,  in  1519,  brought  the  first 
horses  to  the  mainland  of  North  America.  Accord- 
ing to  the  historian,  Bernal  Diaz,  there  were  six- 
teen horses  of  the  captains,  and  five  mares;  and  he 
names  and  describes  the  latter  with  care,  mention- 
ing the  colt  born  on  their  voyage  from  Cuba.  And 
horses  had  a  price  in  those  days  in  this  new  land, 
when  for  many  a  year  the  market  held  firm  at  a 
thousand  pieces  of  eight.  But  the  increase  of  the 
stock  the  Spaniards  imported  was  marvellous,  and 
the  prices  fell  accordingly  until,  by  1728,  horses 
were  down  to  six  dollars  each,  and  mules  to  ten.  It 
was  the  wild  horse,  straying  from  its  old-time  Mex- 
ican owner  into  the  freedom  of  the  wilderness,  cap- 
tured again  by  the  roaming  savage  and  reduced  to 
slavery,  which,  almost  in  a  day,  lifted  the  Indian 
into  a  new  age  of  racial  development.  The  tribes 
of  the  Plains  knew  and  used  the  horse  for  trans- 
portation long  before  men  of  English  blood  came 
wandering  into  their  villages.  Yet  their  accepted 
method  was  extremely  crude,  being  merely  the 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

utilization  of  two  sticks  attached  to  the  sides  of  a 
horse,  the  ends  dragging  on  the  ground.  It  was  the 
same  plan  by  which  they  had  loaded  their  dogs. 
The  French  called  it  the  travois,  and  its  use  was 
universal  from  the  Great  Lakes  to  Texas. 

Spanish  Methods 

The  next  step  in  the  advance  of  Plains  trans- 
portation was  the  pack-train  of  the  early  Spaniards. 
The  idea  was  merely  an  importation  from  Europe, 
but  its  value  in  the  development  of  the  West  is  be- 
yond computation.  The  work  of  the  muleteer  be- 
came almost  an  art,  and  there  were  few  regions  so 
isolated,  either  in  mountain  or  plain,  as  to  remain 
long  unvisited  by  the  pack-train.  The  distance 
travelled,  and  the  value  of  merchandise  and  specie 
transported  in  this  manner,  are  beyond  estimate.  In 
the  early  history  of  the  Southwest  there  were  ordi- 
nary commercial  routes,  regularly  travelled  over, 
more  than  fifteen  hundred  miles  long.  In  1774 
Captain  Anza  took  such  a  train  from  Sonora  to  San 
Francisco,  and  Coronado  wandered  the  Plains 
nearly  two  years,  a  pack-train  bearing  his  supplies. 
On  the  old  Vera  Cruz  Trail  it  is  said  that  seventy 
thousand  mules  were  employed  each  year,  the  com- 
merce carried  on  their  backs  reaching  yearly  a  total 
of  sixty-four  million  dollars.  In  those  days  every- 
thing went  mule-back,  the  only  concession  made  to 
travellers  unable  to  ride  in  this  way  being  a  rude 
litter  on  shafts  swung  to  the  saddles  of  two  mules 
walking  in  single  file.  Regular  commercial  routes, 

[132] 


EARLY  TRANSPORTATION 

over  which  the  pack-mules  travelled  in  long  col- 
umns, were  early  established  between  Mexico  and 
the  border  Spanish  settlements  along  the  Rockies, 
and  thus  was  the  pack-train  introduced  upon  the 
Plains. 

As  early,  possibly,  as  the  beginning  of  the  sev- 
enteenth century  the  first  wheeled  vehicle  made  its 
appearance  in  this  neighborhood,  but  was  probably 
never  used  on  the  Plains  outside  New  Mexico.  This 
was  the  carreta,  built  without  nails  or  a  scrap  of 
iron,  being  a  rude  ox-cart,  so  heavy  that  no  other 
motive  power  could  pull  it.  It  had  two  wheels, 
made  from  three  sections  of  cottonwood  logs,  fast- 
ened to  a  wooden  axle,  and  without  tires.  Some 
carretas  were  still  in  use  within  the  memory  of  liv- 
ing men;  their  creaking  and  groaning  while  in 
motion  imparted  to  the  traveller  a  sensation  never 
to  be  forgotten.  The  first  wheeled  vehicles  ever 
used  within  the  limits  of  what  is  now  the  United 
States  were  those  Zacatecas  wagons  with  which 
Juan  de  Onate  travelled  in  1596  in  his  expedition 
to  colonize  New  Mexico.  We  only  know  they  were 
hauled  by  oxen,  and  that  for  two  centuries  follow- 
ing, a  fairly  regular  communication  was  kept  up 
over  the  same  route. 

The  Mexican  Pack-Train 

The  first  overland  commerce  established  by 
Americans  was  that  along  the  Santa  Fe  Trail,  and 
until  1827  it  was  carried  on  entirely  by  pack-trains. 
After  that  date  wagons  were  introduced,  yet  the 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

other  method  was  never  wholly  abandoned.  The 
Mexican  pack-train,  or  atajo,  adopted  by  the  Amer- 
icans almost  in  its  entirety,  was  an  institution 
worthy  of  description.  Inman  tells  the  story  as 
follows : 

"A  pack-mule  was  termed  a  mula  de  carga,  and  his  equip- 
ment consisted  of  several  parts;  first  the  saddle,  or  aparejof  a 
nearly  square  pad  of  leather  stuffed  with  hay,  which  covered 
the  animal's  back  on  both  sides  equally.  The  best  idea  of  its 
shape  will  be  formed  by  opening  a  book  in  the  middle  and 
placing  it  saddle  fashion  on  the  back  of  a  chair.  Each  half  then 
forms  a  half  of  the  contrivance.  Before  the  aparejo  w?s  ad- 
justed to  the  mule,  a  zalea,  or  raw  sheep-skin,  made  soft  by 
rubbing,  was  put  on  the  animal's  back  to  prevent  chafing,  and 
over  it  the  saddle-cloth,  or  xerga.  On  top  of  both  was  placed 
the  aparejo,  which  was  cinched  by  a  wide  grass  bandage.  This 
band  was  drawn  as  tightly  as  possible,  to  such  an  extent  that 
tlve  poor  brute  grunted  and  groaned  under  the  apparently  pain- 
ful operation,  and  when  fastened  he  seemed  to  be  cut  in  two. 
This  always  appeared  to  be  the  very  acme  of  cruelty  to  the  un- 
initiated, but  it  is  the  secret  of  successful  packing;  the  firmer 
the  saddle,  the  more  comfortably  the  mule  can  travel,  with  less 
risk  of  being  chafed  or  bruised.  The  aparejo  is  furnished  with 
a  huge  crupper,  and  this  appendage  is  really  the  most  cruel  of 
all,  for  it  is  almost  sure  to  lacerate  the  tail.  Hardly  a  Mexican 
mule  in  the  old  days  of  the  trade  could  be  found  which  did  not 
bear  the  scar  of  this  rude  supplement  to  the  immense  saddle." 

The  load  carried  by  each  mule  thus  equipped 
averaged  three  hundred  pounds,  and  was  hoisted 
onto  the  saddle  by  two  packers,  sometimes  in  a 
single  package,  sometimes  in  two,  so  prepared  as 
to  balance  themselves.  This  load,  or  carga,  was 
secured  by  a  stout  rope,  drawn  as  tight  as  possible 
under  the  mule's  belly,  and  laced  round  the  packs. 


EARLY  TRANSPORTATION 

The  operation  seldom  required  more  than  five  min- 
utes.   To  quote  Inman  again : 

"An  old  time  atajo,  or  caravan  of  pack-mules,  generally 
numbered  from  fifty  to  two  hundred,  and  it  travelled  a  Jornada, 
or  day's  march  of  about  twelve  or  fifteen  miles.  This  day's 
journey  was  made  without  any  stopping  at  noon,  because  if  a 
pack-mule  is  allowed  to  rest  he  generally  tries  to  lie  down,  and, 
with  his  heavy  load,  it  is  difficult  for  him  to  get  on  his  feet  again. 
Sometimes  he  is  badly  strained  in  so  doing,  perhaps  ruined  for- 
ever. When  the  train  starts  out  on  the  trail  the  mules  are  so 
tightly  bound  with  the  ropes  that  they  move  with  great  diffi- 
culty; but  the  saddle  soon  settles  itself,  and  the  ropes  become 
loosened  so  that  they  have  frequently  to  be  tightened.  On  the 
march  the  muleteer  is  kept  busy  nearly  all  the  time;  the  packs 
are  constantly  changing  their  position,  frequently  losing  their 
balance  and  falling  off;  sometimes  saddle,  pack,  and  all  swing 
under  the  animal's  belly,  and  he  must  be  unloaded,  and  repacked 
again." 

The  cost  of  such  transportation  was  so  low  that 
competition,  even  by  wagons  in  level  country,  was 
nearly  impossible.  Mules  were  almost  a  drug  on 
the  market,  and  the  muleteer  received  only  five 
dollars  a  month  with  rations,  the  latter  merely  corn 
and  beans.  If  he  desired  meat  he  had  to  hunt  for 
it.  On  the  trail  every  employee  had  his  place  and 
duty.  Each  separate  band  of  mules  was  led  by  a 
bell-mare,  having  a  bell  strapped  about  her  neck. 
It  was  part  of  the  work  of  the  cook  of  the  party  to 
lead  this  bell-mare  on  the  march,  and  the  humble 
pack-animals  never  failed  to  follow. 

The  Prairie  Schooner 

After  1824  wagons  came  into  general  use  for 
the  transportation  of  this  prairie  commerce,  those 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

commonly  used  being  manufactured  in  Pittsburg, 
and  capable  of  carrying  about  a  ton  and  a  half. 
They  were  usually  drawn  by  eight  mules  or  an 
equal  number  of  oxen.  Later  in  the  history  of  the 
trail  much  larger  wagons  were  employed,  often 
hauled  by  as  many  as  twelve  animals.  The  name 
"prairie  schooner"  was  applied  to  them.  The  first 
caravan  of  wagons  to  cross  the  Plains  —  that  experi- 
mental trip  of  1824  —  was  drawn  by  horses,  and  ac- 
companied by  a  long  pack-train  of  mules.  Oxen 
were  first  used  in  1829,  and  ever  after  were  com- 
mon on  the  Plains,  the  large  Missouri-bred  mules 
necessary  for  the  service  being  quite  expensive.  The 
cost  of  outfitting  for  the  long,  dangerous  journey 
was  considerable.  During  the  height  of  the  trade 
the  wagons  cost  two  hundred  dollars  each;  mules 
one  hundred  dollars  each ;  harness  one  hundred  dol- 
lars per  wagon;  water-kegs  and  extras  twenty-five 
dollars  per  wagon.  As  at  least  ten  mules  were  re- 
quired for  each  wagon  the  initial  cost  per  wagon 
was  about  one  thousand  three  hundred  dollars,  or 
for  a  train  of  twenty  wagons, —  as  small  a  number 
as  it  was  safe  to  travel  with  through  the  Indian 
country, —  twenty-six  thousand  dollars.  Besides 
this,  extra  mules  had  to  be  taken  for  use  in  case  of 
accident.  The  wagon-master  was  paid  one  hundred 
dollars  per  month,  each  driver  twenty-five  dollars, 
while  there  were  herders,  cooks,  and  roustabouts 
to  be  considered.  Altogether  it  was  a  venture 
of  importance,  and  the  ambitious  Santa  Fe 
trader  had  to  invest  heavily.  In  the  last  years  of 

[136] 


Copyrfght.      By  courtesy  S.  S.  McClure  Co. 


PRIMITIVE  MODES  OF  TRAFFIC  ACROSS  THE  PLAINS 

THE  CARRETA  OF  THE  SOUTH  —  A  MULE  PATH   AND  PACK  TRAIN  — ONE  OF  THE 
EARLIEST  AMERICAN  PACK  TRAINS 


EARLY  TRANSPORTATION 

the  trade  fully  two  hundred  wagons  were  upon  the 
Trail. 

Hostility  of  the  Mexican  Government  to  the  Traders 

For  a  large  part  of  the  time  during  which  this 
trade  flourished,  the  Mexican  Government  was 
openly  hostile  to  the  traders.  For  several  years 
westward-bound  caravans  would  halt  on  the  Cimar- 
ron,  and  send  scouts  forward  to  ascertain  the  feel- 
ing of  the  authorities.  From  the  continual  changes 
in  administration  no  one  knew  what  would  be  the 
nature  of  their  reception  in  Santa  Fe.  Under  the 
governorship  of  Armijo  a  duty  of  five  hundred  dol- 
lars per  wagon,  whether  large  or  small,  and  re- 
gardless of  what  it  contained,  was  charged  against 
the  helpless  trader.  To  offset  this  robbery  the 
freight  of  three  wagons  was  often  transferred  to  one 
when  within  a  few  miles  of  Santa  Fe,  and  the  empty 
vehicles  burned.  To  avoid  paying  the  export  duty 
charged  on  specie,  false  axle-trees  were  attached  to 
the  wagons,  in  which  the  money  was  concealed. 

Stampedes 

During  these  prairie  journeys  the  perils  of  a 
stampede  were  dreaded  almost  more  than  Indian 
attack,  and,  indeed,  probably  resulted  in  greater 
loss.  Night  or  day  this  was  a  never-absent  danger. 
The  mule,  patient  and  good  worker  as  he  is,  is  yet 
as  easily  frightened  as  a  Texas  steer.  A  prairie  dog 
barking  at  the  entrance  of  his  burrow,  a  strange 
figure  in  the  distance,  even  the  shadow  of  a  pass- 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

ing  cloud,  has  been  known  to  start  every  animal  in 
the  train  into  a  wild  run.  They  seemingly  go  mad, 
rushing  into  one  another,  and  becoming  so  entan- 
gled that  frequently  drivers  and  mules  are  crushed 
to  death.  They  have  dashed  over  precipices  and 
been  killed,  or  strayed  so  far  away  as  to  be  lost  in 
the  desert.  Inman  quotes  an  incident  illustrating 
this,  which  occurred  during  a  winter  military  cam- 
paign in  1868.  The  mules  of  three  wagons  stam- 
peded, dashed  out  of  sight,  and  were  never  found. 
Ten  years  later  a  farmer  who  had  taken  up  a  claim 
in  what  is  now  Rush  County,  Kansas,  discovered  in 
a  ravine  on  his  place  the  bones  of  some  animals,  de- 
cayed parts  of  harness,  and  the  remains  of  three 
army  wagons.  These  were  undoubtedly  the  lost 
stampeders. 

The  Starting  of  a  Caravan 

The  starting  of  one  of  these  great  caravans  of 
the  Plains  on  its  day's  journey  was  a  scene  long  to 
be  remembered,  the  wild  and  motley  aspect  of  the 
men  fitting  accurately  into  the  barren  surroundings 
of  the  desert,  and  making  a  vivid  picture.  "  Catch 
up !  Catch  up ! "  is  the  order  of  the  captain,  and  in- 
stantly all  is  uproar  and  apparent  confusion. 
Gregg's  description  is  complete: 

"The  uproarious  bustle  which  follows,  the  hallooing  of  those 
in  pursuit  of  animals,  the  exclamations  which  the  unruly  brutes 
call  forth  from  their  wrathful  drivers,  together  with  the  clatter 
of  bells,  the  rattle  of  yokes  and  harness,  the  jingle  of  chains, 
all  conspire  to  produce  an  uproarious  confusion.  It  is  some- 
times amusing  to  observe  the  athletic  wagoner  hurrying  an  ani- 
mal to  its  post — to  see  him  heave  upon  the  halter  of  a  stubborn 

[138] 


EARLY   TRANSPORTATION 

mule,  while  the  brute  as  obstinately  sets  back,  determined  not  to 
move  a  peg  till  his  own  good  pleasure  thinks  it  proper  to  do  so. 
I  have  more  than  once  seen  a  driver  hitch  a  harnessed  animal 
to  the  halter,  and  by  that  process  haul  his  mulishness  forward, 
while  each  of  his  four  projected  feet  would  leave  a  furrow  be- 
hind. 'All 's  set ! '  is  finally  heard  from  some  teamster  —  'All 's 
set!'  is  directly  responded  from  every  quarter.  'Stretch  out!' 
immediately  vociferates  the  captain.  Then  the  '  heps/  to  the 
drivers,  the  cracking  of  whips,  the  trampling  of  feet,  the  occa- 
sional creak  of  wheels,  the  rumbling  of  the  wagons,  while  '  Fall 
in ! '  is  heard  from  headquarters,  and  the  train  is  strung  out,  and 
in  a  few  moments  has  started  on  its  long  journey," 


PART  II.— THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  POSSES- 
SION 


CHAPTER  I 
THE  FIRST  EMIGRANTS 

Aspect  of  the  Plains  about  1840. 

THE  Great  Plains  as  they  appeared  about  1840 
now  lie  outspread  before  us.  To  the  mass  of 
American  citizens  living  in  the  Eastern  States  that 
territory  was  then  a  forbidding  desert  never  to  be 
occupied  by  man.  Only  to  the  adventurers  of  the 
border,  the  hardy  trappers,  the  traders  travelling  to 
Santa  Fe,  and  those  few  army  officers  who  had  thus 
early  penetrated  the  miles  of  prairie,  were  its  great 
possibilities  vaguely  apparent.  It  was  yet  barren, 
desolate,  and  deserted  save  for  its  roaming  Indian 
inhabitants.  Much  of  it  remained  unknown  except 
to  wandering  and  illiterate  hunters.  The  long 
stretch  of  the  Missouri  River  had  been  navigated; 
parties  of  mountain  men  had  made  a  passable  trail 
up  the  valley  of  the  Platte;  the  traders'  caravans 
had  gouged  out  a  road  to  Santa  Fe  across  prairie 
and  desert;  some  shanties  of  logs,  and  a  few  stock- 
aded forts,  for  purposes  of  Indian  trading,  were 
scattered  here  and  there  along  the  larger  streams 
between  the  Missouri  and  the  Rockies,  mere  pin- 
pricks in  that  wide  expanse.  In  eastern  Kansas 
and  Nebraska  a  few  hardy  settlers  were  already  be- 

[14°] 


THE   FIRST   EMIGRANTS 

ginning  to  establish  habitations,  but  these,  as  yet, 
scarcely  ventured  to  advance  beyond  sight  of  the 
Missouri.  In  Texas  there  were  settlements,  made 
possible  by  a  militant  advance  against  Mexico;  yet 
these  exercised  little  if  any  direct  influence  over  the 
destinies  of  the  more  northern  Plains.  The  Gov- 
ernment, because  of  the  need  of  protecting  the  San- 
ta Fe  trade,  had  established  a  military  post  at  Fort 
Leavenworth,  but  beyond  this,  and  the  above  men- 
tioned narrow  roads  of  passage,  the  Great  Plains 
remained  an  abode  of  savagery,  yet  to  be  conquered 
and  reclaimed.  Already  those  men  and  women  to 
whom  this  gigantic  task  fell  were  turning  their  ad- 
venturous eyes  westward. 

The  Turning  toward  the  Northwest  and  the  Southwest 

The  contest  may  be  said  to  have  fairly  begun 
with  the  first  faint  trickle  of  emigration  toward  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  to  have  become  stimulated  into 
earnest  activity  by  the  results  of  the  struggle  with 
Mexico.  The  first  turned  the  thoughts  of  the  peo- 
ple toward  the  permanent  settlement  of  the  North- 
west; the  second  brought  to  men  generally  a  new 
conception  of  the  possibilities  of  the  Southwest. 
Thus  was  the  curtain  slightly  lifted,  and  the  period 
of  exploration  verged  into  that  of  the  struggle  for 
possession  which  prefaced  permanent  habitation. 
The  beginnings  of  this  new  movement,  although 
distinct,  were  slow  and  uncertain,  yet  in  a  compara- 
tively brief  space  of  time  —  as  time  is  reckoned  in  a 
nation's  history  —  the  first  little  wave  had  swollen 

[141] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

into  a  torrent;  the  trapper,  the  trader,  the  soldier, 
the  emigrant,  each  in  turn,  passed  along  the  dim 
wilderness  trails,  leaving  the  blackened  embers  of 
camp-fires,  the  deep  ruts  of  wheels,  the  ghastly  rel- 
ics of  battle,  yet  ever  making  way  for  massing  set- 
tlers behind,  constantly  broadening  out  the  vista, 
and  making  known  the  truth.  It  is  this  period  of 
Indian  war  and  pioneer  emigration  that  consti- 
tutes the  second  advance  in  the  story  of  the  Great 
Plains. 

Missionaries  Bound  for  the  West 

To  tell  it  rightly  one  must  hark  back  slightly 
farther  than  the  date  set,  for  as  early  as  1834  trav- 
ellers other  than  traders  or  trappers  passed  over 
the  then  barely  traceable  trail  leading  to  distant 
Oregon.  These  pioneers  of  a  great  movement  were 
missionaries,  and  they  travelled  in  small  separate 
parties  from  that  year  until  1839.  The  Lee  brothers, 
Jason  and  Daniel,  passed  this  way  first.  The  fol- 
lowing year  Samuel  Parker  and  Marcus  Whitman 
travelled  over  the  long  trail.  In  1836,  Whitman, 
who  had  returned  East,  came  back  accompanied  by 
his  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding,  and  W.  G.  Gray, 
It  is  said  that  at  the  trappers'  rendezvous  on  the 
Sweetwater  these  pioneer  white  women  received  a 
royal  welcome  at  the  hands  of  the  gathered  moun- 
tain men,  and  were  escorted  by  them  some  distance 
on  their  journey.  The  remainder  of  the  way  they 
travelled  under  the  armed  protection  of  the  Ameri- 
can Fur  Company.  The  1838  party  was  composed 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eells,  and 

[142] 


THE  FIRST  EMIGRANTS 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith.  In  1839  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grif- 
fin, with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Munger,  made  the  journey. 
These  devoted  missionaries  labored  long  in  the 
Oregon  country,  several  of  them  yielding  up  their 
lives  for  the  faith.  Dr.  Whitman,  a  few  years  later, 
made  a  heroic  ride  across  the  mountains  and  Plains 
in  midwinter,  suffering  incredible  hardships,  to 
bear  to  Washington  the  news  of  the  British 
encroachments  on  the  American  settlements  on  the 
Columbia.  To  his  self-sacrifice  and  patriotism  the 
Northwest  is  greatly  indebted. 

Not  far  behind  these  earliest  forerunners  of 
Protestantism  came  the  Catholic  devotee.  This  was 
P.  J.  de  Smet,  a  Jesuit,  who,  under  orders  of  his 
Superior,  came  to  the  upper  Missouri  in  1840  to 
minister  to  the  Indian  tribes,  and  whose  life  hence- 
forth was  devoted  to  their  service.  The  early  his- 
tory of  Catholic  missions  in  the  northern  Rockies 
is  little  more  than  the  record  of  this  one  devoted 
missionary.  Father  de  Smet  travelled  extensively 
over  the  Plains  and  mountains,  and  wrote  his  expe- 
riences most  interestingly.  He  was  loved  by  the 
Indians  and  never  molested,  the  visits  of  the  "  Black 
Robe  "  always  being  welcome  in  the  wigwams.  His 
principal  labors  were  among  the  Flatheads. 

The  First  Band  of  Settlers 

It  was  in  1841  that  the  first  band  of  settlers  be- 
gan crossing  the  Plains  and  mountains  to  Oregon 
and  California.  All  who  had  passed  that  way  be- 
fore were  but  wanderers,  with  no  settled  purpose 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

of  peopling  this  new  land.  But  these  were  settlers, 
men,  women,  children,  and  their  slow  passage  west- 
ward marked  decisively  the  beginning  of  a  new  era. 
They  toiled  slowly  up  the  valley  of  the  Platte,  find- 
ing their  only  halting-place  in  alt  those  thousands 
of  miles  the  rude  fur-trader's  fort  on  Laramie  Riv- 
er. These  were  truly  the  pioneers,  and  they  were 
so  few,  only  fifteen;  Joel  P.  Walker,  wife,  sister, 
three  sons,  and  two  daughters;  Mr.  Burrows,  wife, 
and  child ;  Mr.  Warfield,  wife,  and  child,  and  a  man 
named  Nichols.  The  loneliness,  the  terrors,  the 
wonders  of  that  journey  to  the  women  and  children 
peering  out  from  under  the  wagon  covers  as  they 
moved  on  through  those  weary  months,  can  scarcely 
be  imagined.  Close  behind  them  toiled  over  the 
same  dim  trail  Bidwell's  company  bound  for  Cali- 
fornia; but  at  Fort  Bridger  this  party  turned  more 
directly  west  following  the  route  later  made  famous 
by  the  gold-hunters.  A  Mrs.  Kelsey  was  the  only 
woman  in  the  Bidwell  company.  So  in  the  same 
year  the  first  emigrants  passed  over  the  long  trails 
to  both  Oregon  and  California. 

Succeeding  Bands 

From  this  date  the  stream  constantly  increased 
in  volume.  In  1842  a  company  of  one  hundred  and 
twelve  men,  women,  and  children,  under  command 
of  Elijah  White,  went  through  to  the  Columbia. 
They  had  a  train  of  eighteen  great  Pennsylvania 
wagons,  with  cattle,  pack-mules,  and  horses.  The 
next  year  an  army  passed  that  way,  consisting  of  a 


THE  FIRST  EMIGRANTS 

thousand  men,  women,  and  children,  bringing  with 
them  draft  cattle,  herds  of  cows  and  horses,  farming 
implements,  and  household  goods.  This  marked  the 
beginning  of  the  end  of  the  old  regime.  Never 
again  were  things  the  same  either  on  plains  or  amid 
the  mountains.  The  period  of  permanent  occu- 
pancy had  begun. 

The  Mormon  Hegira 

Close  upon  the  heels  of  these  earlier  emigrants 
came  the  great  Mormon  hegira  of  1847.  Words 
can  scarcely  picture  this  movement  of  thousands,  in 
all  conditions  of  life  —  men,  women,  and  children, — 
bearing  with  them  all  their  worldly  possessions,  and 
for  months  travelling  across  the  wide  Plains,  seek- 
ing that  home  which  they  finally  discovered  amid 
the  deserts  of  Utah.  Driven  from  Illinois  by  en- 
raged citizens,  leaving  behind  a  deserted  city,  this 
body  of  religious  enthusiasts,  under  the  leadership 
of  Brigham  Young,  struggled  through  Iowa,  suf- 
fering torments  from  the  bitter  cold  of  winter,  and 
the  floods  of  spring,  until  their  second  winter's 
camp  was  established  on  the  banks  of  the  Elkhorn 
in  Nebraska. 

But  this  halt  was  only  temporary.  April  9, 
1847,  the  advance  guard  departed  westward,  and 
all  others  were  expected  to  follow  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble. The  party  was  furnished  with  a  wagon,  two 
oxen,  two  milch  cows,  and  a  tent,  for  every  ten  per- 
sons. Each  wagon  was  supplied  with  a  thousand 
pounds  of  flour,  fifty  pounds  of  rice,  sugar,  and 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

bacon;  thirty  of  beans,  twenty  of  dried  apples  or 
peaches,  twenty-five  of  salt,  five  of  tea,  a  gallon  of 
vinegar,  and  ten  bars  of  soap.  Every  able-bodied 
man  was  compelled  to  carry  some  kind  of  firearm, 
and  do  his  share  of  guard  duty.  The  wagons  were 
beds,  kitchens,  and  occasionally  boats.  The  average 
day's  journey  was  thirteen  miles.  This  advance 
company  were  three  months  in  reaching  the  valley 
of  Great  Salt  Lake,  which  was  chosen  by  their 
leader  as  the  situation  for  their  new  home. 

Behind  them,  in  great  trains,  reaching  in  almost 
solid  procession  from  the  distant  banks  of  the  Mis- 
souri, toiled  the  faithful  followers  of  the  prophet. 
This  passing  of  the  disciples  of  the  Church  of  Lat- 
ter Day  Saints  across  the  wilderness  was  one  of  the 
most  wonderful  sights  witnessed  upon  the  Great 
Plains,  equalled,  it  is  true,  and  possibly  surpassed, 
in  mere  point  of  numbers  a  few  years  later  by  the 
rush  of  gold-seekers  to  California;  yet,  when  one 
considers  the  difference  in  organization  and  pur- 
pose, this  vast  exodus  remains  almost  without  paral- 
lel in  history.  Nor  did  this  strange  migration  cease 
with  the  passing  of  these  pioneers.  Earnest  mis- 
sionaries of  the  faith  toiled  with  unremitting  fervor 
in  the  Eastern  States  and  Europe,  their  numerous 
converts,  usually  poor  in  all  but  religious  enthusi- 
asm, pressing  westward  in  continuous  stream  across 
the  prairies  up  to  the  time  of  the  coming  of  the  rail- 
roads. There  was  no  total  cessation  of  the  tide. 
Thousands  crossed  the  Great  Plains  dragging  hand- 
carts containing  their  baggage,  although  the  Church 

[146] 


THE   FIRST   EMIGRANTS 

authorities  provided  wagons  for  the  women,  chil- 
dren, and  sick.  These  hand-carts  were  primitive 
but  strong,  the  shafts  five  feet  long,  of  hickory  or 
oak,  with  cross  pieces.  Under  the  bed  of  the  cart 
was  a  wooden  axle-tree,  the  wheels  being  also  made 
of  wood,  with  a  light  iron  band.  The  entire  weight 
averaged  about  sixty  pounds.  To  each  hundred 
persons  the  Church  furnished  twenty  of  these  hand- 
carts, five  tents,  three  or  four  milch  cows,  and  a 
wagon  to  be  drawn  by  three  yoke  of  oxen.  The 
quantity  of  clothing  and  bedding  taken  was  limited 
to  seventeen  pounds  per  capita,  and  the  freight  of 
each  hand-cart  was  expected  to  be  about  one  hun- 
dred pounds. 

Route  of  the  Mormons 

The  large  majority  of  this  Church  army  trav- 
elled westward  from  Council  Bluffs  up  the  valley 
of  the  Platte,  following  a  trail  now  cut  deep  into 
the  soil  of  the  prairie.  Yet  there  were  side  streams 
from  points  farther  south,  the  one  most  used  lead- 
ing from  Independence,  Missouri,  northwest  across 
the  Plains  until  it  united  with  the  main  current  of 
travel  at  Grand  Island.  This,  a  little  later,  became 
an  important  route  for  emigrant  trains  bound  for 
California  and  Oregon,  and  still  later  was  raced 
over  by  overland  coaches  and  the  pony  express. 
Others  of  the  Mormons,  although  usually  travel- 
ling in  much  smaller  parties,  advanced  up  the  val- 
ley of  the  Arkansas,  and  skirted  the  eastern  base 
of  the  Rockies  on  their  long  journey  to  the  "  Prom- 
ised Land."  Such  a  company  brought  the  first 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

American  families  within  the  present  limits  of  Col- 
orado, residing  on  the  site  of  Pueblo  throughout 
the  Winter  of  1846-47.  Houses  were  erected  by 
them,  a  number  of  children  were  born,  numerous 
deaths  occurred,  and  there  is  a  record  of  one  wed- 
ding. 

Sufferings  on  the  Journey 

During  the  course  of  this  passage  across  the 
wilderness  much  suffering  and  hardship  occurred, 
but  there  is  no  record  of  Indian  attack.  Exposure 
and  death  left  many  along  the  trails.  One  large 
company,  having  yet  a  thousand  miles  to  travel,  de- 
cided to  press  on  as  late  as  the  last  of  November, 
thus  braving  a  winter  on  the  Plains  and  in  the 
mountains.  At.  first  they  travelled  fifteen  miles  a 
day,  but  were  soon  delayed  by  breaking  axles,  and 
other  accidents.  At  Wood  River  their  cattle  stam- 
peded, and  thirty  head  were  lost.  The  beef  cattle, 
milch  cows,  and  heifers  were  yoked  up,  but  did  lit- 
tle service,  and  the  allowance  of  food  was  reduced 
to  one  meal  a  day.  On  reaching  Laramie,  where 
they  hoped  to  procure  provisions,  they  found  none. 
Again  the  ration  was  reduced,  men  able  to  work 
each  receiving  twelve  ounces  of  flour  daily;  women 
and  old  men,  nine  ounces;  children,  four  to  eight. 
The  weather  grew  severe,  and  they  suffered  greatly 
from  cold.  Before  them  loomed  the  grim  moun- 
tains already  white  with  snow.  The  old  and  infirm 
began  to  die,  and  each  camp  was  a  burying-ground. 
Then  the  able-bodied  commenced  falling  out,  some 
dying  in  the  shafts  of  their  carts.  While  yet  six- 

[148] 


THE   FIRST   EMIGRANTS 

teen  miles  from  the  nearest  possible  camp  on  the 
Sweetwater,  it  began  to  snow,  and  their  last  ration 
of  flour  was  issued.  At  this  moment  of  despair 
messengers  reached  them,  saying  a  train  of  supplies 
was  only  two  or  three  days  ahead.  Encouraged  by 
this  news,  the  survivors  managed  to  drag  forward, 
but  during  the  night  five  died  of  cold  and  exhaus- 
tion. 

The  next  morning  the  snow  was  a  foot  deep,  and 
they  had  left  only  two  barrels  of  biscuits,  a  few 
pounds  of  sugar  and  dried  apples,  with  a  quarter 
of  a  sack  of  rice.  They  determined  to  remain  in 
camp,  sending  forward  the  captain  and  one  of  the 
elders  in  search  of  the  supply  train.  During  those 
three  days  of  waiting  the  sufferings  of  the  party 
were  intense.  Many  sickened  and  died.  One 
writer  says: 

"Some  expired  in  the  arms  of  those  who  were  themselves 
almost  at  the  point  of  death.  Mothers  wrapped  with  their  dying 
hands  the  remnant  of  their  tattered  clothing  around  the  wan 
forms  of  their  perishing  infants.  The  most  pitiful  sight  of  all 
was  to  see  strong  men  begging  for  the  morsel  of  food  that  had 
been  set  aside  for  the  sick  and  helpless." 

Late  in  the  night  of  the  third  day  the  help  so 
long  waited  for  reached  them.  Yet  it  came  almost 
too  late  to  save.  In  Inman's  words : 

"Some  were  already  beyond  all  human  aid,  some  had  lost 
their  reason,  and  around  others  the  blackness  of  despair  had 
settled,  all  efforts  to  arouse  them  from  their  stupor  being  un- 
availing. Each  day  the  weather  grew  colder,  and  many  were 
frost-bitten,  losing  fingers,  toes,  or  ears,  one  sick  man,  who  held 
on  to  the  wagon  bars  to  avoid  jolting,  having  all  his  fingers 

[149] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

frozen.    At  a  camping  ground  at  Willow  Creek,  fifteen  people 
were  buried,  thirteen  of  them  frozen  to  death." 

Beyond  this  point  the  weather  moderated,  and, 
when  the  struggling  remnant  arrived  at  Salt  Lake, 
they  had  a  death  roll  of  sixty-seven  out  of  four  hun- 
dred and  twenty.  Martin's  party,  six  hundred 
strong,  journeying  a  few  miles  behind,  also  suffered 
severely  upon  the  North  Platte,  but  got  through 
with  less  serious  loss  of  life. 

The  number  passing  westward  in  this  Mormon 
movement  has  never  been  estimated,  but  certain  fig- 
ures can  be  given  as  evidence  of  its  importance. 
The  first  scouting  party,  led  in  person  by  Brigham 
Young,  numbered  143  men  and  convoyed  a  train  of 
73  wagons.  Next  behind  these  followed  1,200  men, 
women,  and  children  with  397  wagons;  then  the 
Kimball  company  of  662  persons  and  226  wagons; 
then  those  under  charge  of  Richards,  526  people 
with  169  wagons. 

Increased  Migration  to   Oregon 

At  the  same  time  the  migration  to  Oregon  was 
steadily  increasing.  In  1849  fourteen  hundred  Mor- 
mons passed  Fort  Bridger.  A  peculiar  fact  of  these 
early  migrations  is  that  few,  if  any,  paused  en  route. 
Not  even  rumors  of  gold  deposits  in  the  Black  Hills, 
or  the  Big  Horn  Range,  sufficed  to  halt  the  current 
flowing  steadily  toward  Salt  Lake  and  the  Pacific. 
Occasionally  a  few  adventurers  were  thus  turned 
aside,  yet  their  discoveries,  if  any,  made  no  per- 
ceptible mark  on  history.  An  illustration  is  af- 


THE   FIRST  EiMIGRANTS 

forded  by  the  story  of  thirty  men  deserting  from 
Captain  Douglas's  party  in  1852.  They  started  out 
to  prospect  in  the  Black  Hills,  but  were  never  again 
heard  of.  Bancroft  reports  that  in  1876  evidence 
of  their  work  was  discovered  on  Battle  Creek,  to- 
gether with  fragments  of  skeletons,  and  numerous 
mining  tools.  They  were  probably  killed  by  In- 
dians. 


CHAPTER  II 
EARLY  ARMY  SERVICE 

The  Search  for  Passes  across  the  Rockies 

IN  BOTH  exploration  and  exploitation  of  this 
Western  country  the  Government  was  extremely 
slow  to  act.  After  the  return  of  Lewis  and  Clark 
from  the  Northwest,  and  Pike  from  the  Southwest, 
nothing  beyond  the  futile  expedition  of  Long  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains  was  attempted  until  1842.  It  is 
true  that  in  the  meantime  Captain  Bonneville  had 
traversed  the  Plains  and  made  numerous  discoveries 
in  the  mountains  beyond,  which  had  added  to  the 
world's  knowledge ;  but  his  journeyings  were  with- 
out Government  sanction,  and  undertaken  merely 
from  a  spirit  of  adventure.  During  his  prolonged 
absence  from  duty  his  name  was  even  stricken  from 
the  army  roll,  to  be  replaced,  in  recognition  of  his 
achievements,  some  years  later. 

In  1842,  however,  the  increasing  migration  west- 
ward induced  the  authorities  to  fit  out  an  army  ex- 
pedition for  the  discovery  of  the  best  possible  routes 
through  the  mountains  to  the  Pacific.  The  fact 
that  such  trails  had  already  been  discovered,  and 
long  followed,  by  the  mountain  men  in  their  trap- 
ping and  trading  journeys,  was  seemingly  ignored 
as  being  unworthy  of  credence.  In  this  connection 
an  anecdote  of  old  Jim  Bridger,  although  occurring 
much  later,  is  characteristic  of  this  official  blind- 


EARLY  ARMY  SERVICE 

ness  to  knowledge  already  possessed  by  many. 
While  seeking  a  low  pass  for  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad,  the  chief  engineer  sent  a  hurried  message 
to  this  famous  trapper,  then  living  in  Missouri,  to 
meet  him  at  the  base  of  the  Rockies  for  important 
consultation.  Bridger  made  the  trip  by  stage,  and 
his  disgust  was  deep  indeed  when  he  arrived  and 
learned  the  cause  of  his  long,  hard  journey.  Swiftly 
he  described  and  sketched  the  exact  pass  required, 
and  through  which  the  railroad  now  runs.  He 
added  angrily  that  he  could  have  sent  them  all  they 
desired  from  his  own  home,  if  they  had  only  in- 
formed him  first  what  was  wanted.  His  expres- 
sions of  contempt  for  such  unnecessary  disturbance 
of  his  peaceful  old  age  were  profanely  eloquent. 

Fremont's  Fitness  for  the  Work 

The  officer  selected  by  the  War  Department  for 
this  purpose  of  unlocking  the  secrets  of  the  West, 
was  Lieutenant  John  C.  Fremont,  who  had  already 
travelled  the  Plains  in  company  with  Nicollet.  He 
was  connected  with  the  Corps  of  Topographical 
Engineers,  and  in  many  ways  was  well  fitted  for  the 
task.  Upon  his  mountain  adventures  it  is  unneces- 
sary to  dwell,  although  most  of  his  discoveries  were 
rather  to  be  credited  to  those  well  selected  scouts 
who  guided  him,  old  mountain  men,  of  whom  the 
most  celebrated  were  Kit  Carson,  Jim  Baker,  and  a 
Frenchman  named  Godey.  In  prosecuting  his  work 
Fremont  made  four  trips  across  the  Plains,  three 
under  orders  of  the  Government,  and  one  on  his 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

own  individual  account.  The  information  thus 
gathered  was  of  great  value  to  subsequent  migra- 
tion, and  gave  the  Lieutenant  wide  fame  as  explorer 
and  pathfinder.  Being  in  California  at  the  out- 
break of  the  war  against  Mexico,  he  acted  promptly 
with  the  small  force  under  his  command,  and  held 
that  territory  for  the  United  States  after  several 
skirmishes.  These  various  expeditions  were  ex- 
ceedingly picturesque,  and  filled  with  wilderness 
adventures.  Published  in  all  details,  they  quickly 
appealed  to  the  imagination  of  the  people  and  made 
Fremont  a  popular  hero,  nearly  landing  him  in  the 
presidential  chair. 

The  Sources  of  the  Missouri  and  the  Columbia 

On  his  first  journey,  in  1842,  his  party,  number- 
ing twenty-eight,  was  composed  largely  of  French 
voyageurs,  with  Kit  Carson  as  guide.  This  famous 
borderman  had  run  away  from  home  at  fifteen  to 
join  one  of  the  early  caravans  to  Santa  Fe,  and 
passed  all  the  remainder  of  his  life  on  the  plains 
and  in  the  mountains.  His  adventures  among  In- 
dians and  wild  beasts  would  fill  volumes,  and  his 
experience  well  fitted  him  for  the  position  he  now 
assumed.  The  party,  excellently  equipped,  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Missouri  as  far  as  Chouteau's  trading- 
house,  four  hundred  miles  above  St.  Louis.  Here, 
on  June  10  they  started  out  across  the  prairies.  The 
journey  was  enlivened  by  numerous  buffalo  hunts, 
and  several  councils  with  Indian  tribes.  After  thirty 
days'  travel  the  company  reached  Saint  Vrain's 


EARLY   ARMY   SERVICE 

Fort  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Platte.  Four  days 
later  they  were  on  the  Laramie  River.  The  two 
months  passed  by  the  party  in  the  neighborhood  of 
South  Pass  included  an  ascent  of  that  high  ridge 
since  known  as  Fremont's  Peak,  and  a  brief  explora- 
tion of  the  sources  of  the  Missouri  and  Columbia 
Rivers.  The  explorers  then  returned  homeward, 
arriving  at  St.  Louis  in  October. 

Fremont's  Journey  to  Oregon  by  the  South  Pass 

Fremont's  second  expedition  occurred  in  the 
years  1843-44,  taking  him  to  Oregon  and  Califor- 
nia; in  results  it  was  by  far  the  most  important  of 
all  his  journeys.  It  was  also  filled  with  adventure 
and  hardship.  He  took  with  him  thirty-nine  men, 
leaving  the  little  town  of  Kansas,  on  the  Missouri, 
May  29.  The  route  lay  up  the  valley  of  the  Kan- 
sas to  the  head-waters  of  the  Arkansas,  where  Fre- 
mont hoped  to  discover  some  practicable  opening 
through  the  range.  Not  successful  in  this  quest,  the 
party  journeyed  northward  along  the  foot-hills,  and 
finally  crossed  the  mountains  by  way  of  South  Pass. 
While  on  the  Plains  they  saw  many  large  emigrant 
trains  slowly  toiling  toward  Oregon. 

The  third  expedition,  undertaken  in  the  Fall  of 
1845,  had  for  its  object  the  discovery  of  a  new  route 
toward  the  Columbia  country.  But  upon  his 
arrival  at  the  Pacific  coast  the  war  with  Mexico 
suddenly  disarranged  his  further  plans  of  explora- 
tion, and  he  at  once  undertook  the  conquest  of 
California. 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

His  fourth  and  last  trip  was  made  as  an  individ- 
ual, and  after  he  had  resigned  from  the  army.  It 
was  a  disastrous  adventure,  and  occurred  in  the 
Winter  of  1848-49.  His  party  left  the  upper  waters 
of  the  Arkansas  under  the  guidance  of  old  Bill  Wil- 
liams, a  famous  mountaineer.  Williams  either 
never  knew,  or  through  age  had  forgotten,  the  coun- 
try to  be  traversed,  and  almost  from  the  beginning, 
became  lost,  the  company  wandering  aimlessly 
about  in  deep  snow  and  winter  storms.  Their  suf- 
ferings were  intense,  their  situation  desperate.  Ten 
of  his  men,  one-third  of  the  entire  company,  died 
from  exposure  and  starvation,  before  the  remnant 
staggered  into  the  safety  of  the  Mexican  settlements. 

Other   Explorations 

After  Fremont's  expeditions  the  people  of  the 
Eastern  States  became  vitally  interested  in  the  open- 
ing up  of  the  West,  and  the  Government  at  Wash- 
ington was  stimulated  to  undertake  new  explora- 
tions. These  were  carried  on  largely  by  the  War 
Department;  but  while  of  very  real  importance  in 
adding  to  the  stock  of  geographical  knowledge  re- 
garding this  region,  they  were  not  extensive,  or  par- 
ticularly interesting  in  either  incident  or  adventure. 
The  most  important  of  them  were  under  command 
of  Captain  R.  B.  Marcy,  who  thoroughly  explored 
the  Red  and  Wichita  Rivers,  and  the  country  of 
the  Comanches,  including  the  Staked  Plains.  A 
trail  westward  from  Fort  Smith  was  also  marked 
by  this  officer,  and  was  largely  used  by  emigrants. 

[156] 


EARLY  ARMY   SERVICE 

Mormon  Atrocities 

While  the  Plains  were  yet  uninhabited  and  un- 
sought by  white  settlers,  the  army  was  twice  called 
upon  to  march  across  them  in  considerable  force,  to 
enforce  law  and  wage  war.  The  first  occasion  was 
in  the  struggle  against  Mexico ;  the  second  was  the 
Mormon  campaign,  beginning  in  1857.  Already, 
and  for  years,  the  well-beaten  trails  leading  toward 
the  Rockies  and  the  far-off  Pacific  were  black  with 
the  wagons  of  emigrants  and  gold-seekers.  It  is 
impossible  to  estimate  their  number,  or  to  say  how 
many  adherents  of  the  Mormon  Church  were  by  this 
time  gathered  in  and  about  Salt  Lake.  We  only 
know  that  the  Mormon  population  had  increased  so 
rapidly  in  ten  years  that  their  strength  had  made 
the  Church  officials  arrogant,  and,  probably  under 
their  orders,  the  ignorant  followers  had  been  guilty 
of  many  atrocities.  Emigrant  trains  were  attacked 
and  robbed;  even  murder  had  been  committed  by 
adherents  of  the  Church,  disguised  as  Indians,  with 
seemingly  no  fear  of  punishment,  the  Utah  authori- 
ties openly  defying  the  Government  at  Washington 
to  attempt  arrests.  To  punish  these  people  and 
bring  them  to  a  realization  of  the  necessity  of  obe- 
dience to  law,  an  army  expedition  was  organized 
at  Fort  Leavenworth  in  the  Summer  of  1857.  It 
was  splendidly  equipped,  and  started  overland  with 
immense  trains  of  supplies.  The  troops  taking  part 
in  the  march  were  the  Fifth  and  Tenth  Infantry, 
with  two  batteries  of  Light  Artillery.  Owing  to 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

the  Free-soil  troubles  then  raging  in  Kansas,  the 
Second  Dragoons,  detailed  for  the  march,  were 
halted  in  that  Territory,  and  the  expedition  went 
forward  without  cavalry.  Colonel  Alexander  was 
in  command,  and  conducted  the  march  across  the 
Plains,  but  was  later  superseded  by  Colonel  Albert 
Sidney  Johnston,  who  joined  the  column  with  a  de- 
tachment of  horsemen  on  November  3,  thirty-five 
miles  from  Fort  Bridger. 

Campaign  against  the  Mormons 

The  main  incidents  of  this  campaign,  and  its 
sufferings,  occurred  in  the  mountainous  country, 
but  may  be  briefly  summarized.  Annoyed  in  ev- 
ery possible  way  by  Mormon  militia,  Colonel  Alex- 
ander's small  command  of  infantrymen  were  in  a 
desperate  plight,  when  Colonel  Johnston  came  up 
and  assumed  control.  It  was  now  so  late  in  the  sea- 
son, the  ground  covered  with  snow  and  the  animals 
starving,  the  officers  determined  to  go  into  winter 
camp  at  Fort  Bridger.  Short  as  the  distance  was, 
they  were  fifteen  days  marching  those  thirty-five 
miles.  The  weather  was  bitter,  many  of  the  men 
being  badly  frost-bitten.  In  one  regiment  of  cav- 
alry fifty-seven  head  of  horses  and  mules  perished 
of  cold  in  one  encampment  on  the  Sweetwater.  In 
the  camp  at  Black  Fork  five  hundred  animals  were 
frozen  to  death  in  one  night.  A  day's  march  barely 
achieved  two  miles.  At  Bridger  they  found  noth- 
ing but  smoke-blackened  walls,  the  Mormons 
having  burned  the  buildings.  Nevertheless  the 


EARLY  STREET  SCENE  IN  SALT  LAKE  CITY 


THE  CABIN  HOME  OF  A  MORMON  FAMILY 


SCENES  PICTURING  THE  SETTLEMENT  OF  UTAH  BY 
THE   MORMONS 


EARLY  ARMY   SERVICE 

troops  camped  there,  making  every  possible  use  of 
the  ruins,  and  living  at  first  on  slaughtered  oxen. 
It  was  a  winter  of  great  suffering;  but  men  and  offi- 
cers toiled  incessantly,  and  when  spring  opened,  the 
command  was  in  good  condition  to  take  the  field. 
Two  expeditions  in  search  of  supplies  travelled  to 
Oregon  and  New  Mexico.  They  were  desperate 
ventures,  and  the  soldiers  composing  them  suffered 
greatly,  but  were  successful  in  their  quest.  Captain 
Marcy,  in  command  of  the  New  Mexican  expedi- 
tion, returned  by  way  of  the  Plains,  skirting  the 
eastern  base  of  the  mountains.  As  spring  ap- 
proached, Brigham  Young,  realizing  the  useless- 
ness  of  prolonging  resistance,  permitted  the  troops 
to  advance  to  Salt  Lake  without  subjecting  them  to 
further  molestation.  Here  the  newly  appointed 
Governor,  Cummings,  at  once  took  charge,  and  the 
military  campaign  ended  without  bloodshed.  Noth- 
ing was  done  in  punishment  of  Mormon  atrocities, 
but  henceforward  Utah  came  under  the  direct  con- 
trol of  the  United  States. 

Forts  Built  to  Control  the  Indians 

From  1848  to  1860  the  Indians  of  the  Great 
Plains  were  more  or  less  hostile  and  troublesome, 
although  not  openly  upon  the  warpath.  For  their 
better  control,  and  hoping  thus  to  safeguard  the 
constantly  passing  emigrant  trains,  army  posts  were 
established  at  various  points  in  the  prairie  wilder- 
ness. These  were  at  first  very  primitive,  designed 
for  merely  temporary  purposes,  and  seldom  garri- 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

soned  by  more  than  a  company  of  infantry  or  a  troop 
of  horse.  Those  particularly  worthy  of  mention 
were  Forts  Pierre  and  Berthold,  on  the  Missouri,  in 
what  is  now  the  Dakotas;  Fort  Kearney,  at  Grand 
Island  on  the  Platte ;  Fort  Laramie,  on  the  North 
Fork  of  the  same  stream;  Fort  Atkinson,  near  the 
great  bend  of  the  Arkansas ;  Fort  Union,  in  eastern 
New  Mexico;  Fort  Washita,  near  the  confluence 
of  the  Washita  with  the  Red  in  northern  Texas; 
Fort  Belknap,  on  the  upper  Brazos;  Fort  Chad- 
bourne,  near  the  eastern  limits  of  the  Staked  Plains; 
and  Fort  Lancaster,  on  the  lower  Pecos.  The  serv- 
ice at  these  isolated  posts,  at  times  severed  from 
all  communication,  and  surrounded  by  hostile  sav- 
ages, was  most  severe  and  trying.  All  the  posts 
had  their  tales  of  soldier  heroism  and  sacrifice,  for 
the  region  round  about  each  was  a  scene  of  almost 
constant  skirmishing.  During  the  later  years  of  this 
occupancy  the  wide  Plains  were  almost  continually 
scouted  over  by  small  detachments  of  troops,  pass- 
ing from  post  to  post,  ever  seeking  to  keep  control 
over  the  wandering  tribes,  and  protect  the  onflowing 
army  of  emigrants. 

Escorts  for  Emigrant  Trains 

Perhaps  the  most  tiresome,  yet  necessary  service 
given  those  regulars  serving  on  the  Plains  during 
this  period  was  that  of  guarding  emigrant  or 
trading  caravans.  This  was  almost  incessantly  kept 
up  for  many  years,  even  to  the  time  of  building  the 
Pacific  Railroad.  Its  story  would  reveal  many  a 

[160] 


EARLY  ARMY   SERVICE 

forgotten  fight,  many  a  heroic  adventure.  This  es- 
cort duty  was  always  distasteful,  but  that  with  a 
"bull"  or  ox-train  was  the  worst.  Colonel  For- 
syth  writes  thus  of  it  from  the  bitterness  of  his  own 
experience : 

"Oh,  the  tedium  of  it  all!  The  starting  twice  a  day  in  the 
small  hours  of  both  meridians :  the  dismal  journey  of  from  seven 
to  twelve  miles  in  a  trip  of  one  or  two  hundred  miles  and  re- 
turn. The  train,  numbering  from  twenty  to  fifty  wagons,  rolled 
out  in  the  matutinal  twilight  to  an  accompaniment  of  cracking 
whips,  of  yells  and  teamsters'  oaths,  the  officer  commanding  the 
escort,  bored  and  sleepy,  riding  a  few  yards  ahead  of  the  leading 
wagon,  the  escort  scattered  about  where  it  could  do  the  most 
good  in  the  event  of  sudden  need.  At  the  end  of  the  first  mile 
up  gallops  a  wagon  master.  'Lef  tenant,'  he  says,  'Hunk  Hansen 
has  shed  a  tire,  and  we'll  have  to  put  it  back.'  Everything  stops, 
for  it  will  not  do  to  separate  the  train.  The  tire  is  put  on  and 
a  fresh  start  made.  Half  an  hour  later  a  wagon  master  is  at  the 
escort  commander's  side  again.  'That  idiot  Doby  Dave,'  he  ex- 
claims, 'never  told  me  he  had  a  split  yoke  before  we  left  camp, 
and  now  it  's  come  apart,  blast  him !  and  I've  got  to  go  through 
the  wagons  or  band  the  yoke.'  'Which  can  you  do  more  quick- 
ly?' asks  the  lieutenant  patiently.  'Band  her.'  'Do  it,  then.' 
Another  halt,  another  half  hour  or  hour  lost,  and  so  it  goes 
through  the  day,  day  after  day,  in  rain  and  shine,  always  in  heat, 
for  freighting  is  possible  only  when  the  grass  is  green.  And 
there  is  ever  a  steady  strain  of  responsibility  on  the  officer.  He 
well  knows  that  he  is  followed  and  watched,  and  should  he  be 
caught  napping  he  will  surely  have  to  pay  the  penalty,  for  the 
stock  is  a  prize  that  the  Indians  will  risk  much  to  secure.  They 
know  his  route,  the  length  of  time  he  will  be  on  the  road,  and 
his  destination,  and  he  must  act  accordingly.  The  men,  nat- 
urally enough,  become  weary  of  the  slow  progress,  the  short 
halts,  and  the  nightly  hard  guard  duty.  They  do  not  care  to 
affiliate  with  the  teamsters,  and  get  tired  of  each  other,  and,  in 
fact,  it  is  a  dreary  business  all  around.  As  the  train  is  groan- 
ing and  creaking  its  slow  way  over  a  bit  of  rolling  country,  a 

[161] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

cry  of  '  Indians,  Indians ! '  suddenly  comes  from  the  flankers,  and 
a  band  of  Indians  dash  rapidly  forward  out  of  a  hollow  toward 
the  wagons,  yelling  and  firing  as  they  advance.  The  soldiers 
spring  quickly  to  their  stations  and  promptly  return  the  fire,  and 
the  drivers  instantly  begin  to  form  a  park  by  turning  their 
teams.  So  the  Indians,  seeing  that  the  attempted  stampede  is  a 
failure,  fire  a  parting  volley  and  disappear.  They  had  hoped  to 
surprise  the  train  and  run  off  some  of  the  cattle.  A  day  or  two 
later  an  attempt  will  be  made  to  wile  away  the  herd,  and  the 
guard,  expecting  such  an  effort,  will  frustrate  it.  However,  the 
Indians  were  not  always  unsuccessful;  wagon  trains  were  be- 
reft by  them  of  every  animal  they  possessed,  and  the  mortified 
losers  compelled  to  wait  ingloriously  for  relief  to  arrive  from 
some  adjacent  post  or  else  go  after  it  on  foot." 

A  March  of  Troops  Across  the  Plains 

This  same  interesting  writer  on  frontier  army 
life  thus  graphically  describes  a  scene  most  com- 
mon during  all  this  period,  the  day's  march  of  a 
column  of  troops  across  the  Plains: 

"During  the  first  hour,  or  until  the  sun  is  well  up,  the 
command  plods  along  slowly,  the  men's  legs  are  not  limbered  up, 
and  sleep  still  hovers  about  their  eyelids ;  but  gradually  a  hum  of 
talk  and  laughter  rises,  and  in  time  every  one  strikes  his  regular 
pace,  the  company  officers  get  together  at  the  head  of  their  or- 
ganizations, and  the  distance  between  the  column  and  the  wagon 
train  which  followed  it  out  of  camp  increases.  During  the  ten- 
minute  halts  in  each  hour,  the  men  skylark  and  everything  is 
cheerful  and  merry.  Later,  as  the  total  of  miles  travelled  grows 
large,  the  hum  and  buzz  dies  down;  during  the  halts  the  men 
lie  on  their  backs  instead  of  skylarking;  and  when  the  march  is 
resumed  it  takes  a  minute  or  two  to  fall  into  the  regular  gait, 
and  the  head  of  the  wagon  train,  out  of  sight  a  little  while  ago, 
is  seen  to  draw  steadily  nearer.  The  battalion  slowly  drags  itself 
to  the  top  of  a  rise  as  the  head  of  the  column  gains  it,  and  the 
music  boys  see  on  the  plain  far  ahead  a  dark  line,  which  they 
know  to  be  bushes  or  trees,  and  it  shows  the  next  camp  ground, 

[162] 


EARLY  ARMY  SERVICE 

for  they  mark  the  location  of  water.  A  thrill  runs  through  the 
command.  The  talk  begins  again,  the  feet  grow  lighter,  and  the 
last  two  or  three  miles  are  dashed  off  at  a  rattling  pace.  Camp 
is  reached,  and  it  is  about  twelve  o'clock.  The  cavalry,  which 
left  the  last  camp  half  an  hour  after  the  infantry,  has,  by  passing 
it  on  the  way,  arrived  an  hour  earlier,  and  is  already  comfortably 
settled  for  the  night. 

"Sometimes  at  night,  when  the  weather  was  clear  and  not 
overcold,  the  men  would  lie  wide  awake  upon  their  backs  for 
hours  at  a  stretch,  looking  straight  up  at  the  wonderful  beauty 
of  the  heavens,  talking  to  each  other  in  low  tones,  and  enjoying 
to  their  hearts'  content  the  awe-inspiring  sight  of  a  starlight 
night  far  out  on  the  plains,  where  the  air  is  so  pure  that  the 
stars  seem  to  shine  with  a  lustre  unknown  to  those  of  mountains 
and  cities,  and  to  swing  lower  in  the  blue  vault  of  heaven  than 
anywhere  else.  It  is  such  hours  as  these  that  help  to  lend  the 
nameless  fascination  to  a  soldier's  life  on  the  Plains,  that  never 
entirely  leaves  him,  and  often  stirs  his  blood  even  years  after  he 
has  left  the  service  and  is  a  gray-haired  man  with  a  growing 
family  around  him ;  that  safely  anchors  him  to  a  civil  life." 


[163] 


CHAPTER  III 
DURING  THE  WAR  WITH  MEXICO 

General  Kearney  Invades  Mexico 

IN  APRIL,  1846,  Mexico  declared  war  against 
the  United  States,  and  a  month  later  the  Presi- 
dent called  into  the  field  50,000  volunteers.  General 
Kearney  was  given  command  of  the  army  intended 
for  action  in  the  West,  and  this  force  was  di- 
vided into  three  separate  commands.  The  first, 
led  by  himself,  was  destined  to  the  Pacific  coast;  a 
thousand  volunteers,  under  Colonel  Doniphan  were 
to  descend  upon  Chihuahua;  while  the  third  divi- 
sion, commanded  by  Sterling  Price,  was  expected  to 
garrison  Santa  Fe,  and  retain  control  of  New 
Mexico. 

In  this  connection,  Inman  records  an  interesting 
story  of  the  Plains,  as  follows : 

"Early  in  the  Spring  of  1846,  before  it  was  known,  or  even 
conjectured,  that  a  state  of  war  would  be  declared,  a  caravan 
of  twenty-nine  traders,  on  their  way  from  Independence  to  Santa 
Fe,  beheld,  just  after  a  storm,  and  a  little  before  sunset,  a  per- 
fect, distinct  image  of  the  Bird  of  Liberty,  the  American  eagle, 
on  the  disc  of  the  sun.  When  they  saw  it,  they  simultaneously 
and  almost  involuntarily  exclaimed  that  in  less  than  twelve 
months  the  Eagle  of  Liberty  would  spread  his  broad  plumes  over 
the  Plains  of  the  West,  and  that  the  flag  of  our  country  would 
wave  over  the  cities  of  New  Mexico  and  Chihuahua." 

The  value  of  this  vision,  and  the  truth  of  its  ful- 
filment, can  be  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  reader, 

1:164] 


DURING  THE  WAR  WITH  MEXICO 

General  Kearney's  army  moved  out  onto  the 
prairie  from  Fort  Leavenworth,  in  detached  col- 
umns, during  the  Summer  of  1846,  and  took  up  its 
long  march  through  the  wilderness.  It  consisted  of 
two  batteries  of  Artillery,  three  squadrons  First  U. 
S.  Dragoons,  the  First  Regiment  of  Missouri  Cav- 
alry, two  companies  of  Infantry,  and  a  detachment 
of  Topographical  Engineers.  By  August  this  force 
was  concentrated  in  camp  on  the  old  Santa  Fe 
Trail,  about  nine  miles  below  Bent's  Fort  on  the 
Arkansas.  The  incidents  and  adventures  of  this 
march  over  the  Plains  have  been  recorded  in  detail 
by  the  commandant  of  the  Engineers,  Lieutenant 
W.  H.  Emory,  and  John  T.  Hughes  of  the  Mis- 
souri Cavalry.  I  use  their  report  freely  as  quoted 
by  Inman. 

At  the  first  planning  of  this  expedition  it  was 
gravely  questioned  by  officials  whether  so  large  a 
body  of  troops  could  be  marched  such  a  distance 
over  an  uninhabited  waste,  having  no  base  of  sup- 
plies, and  totally  severed  from  all  possibility  of  re- 
inforcement. It  was  considered  an  experiment,  and 
a  dangerous  one,  yet  an  immense  amount  of  pro- 
visions was  carried  in  huge  wagons,  carefully 
guarded,  and  beef  cattle  were  driven  the  entire  dis- 
tance. These  subsisted  entirely  by  grazing  on  the 
nutritious  buffalo  grass  bordering  the  trail.  At 
night  it  was  the  custom  to  confine  them  in  a  corral 
formed  by  the  wagons,  although  occasionally  they 
were  tethered  to  an  iron  picket-pin  driven  fifteen 
inches  into  the  hard  ground.  At  the  outset  of  the 

[165] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

march  the  horses  made  considerable  trouble.  Many 
of  them  being  only  half  broken  and  unused  to  mili- 
tary display,  the  fluttering  flags,  the  rumbling  of 
caissons,  the  pealing  trumpets,  and  the  rattling 
sabres  proved  too  much  for  their  nerves,  and  there 
were  numerous  wild  stampedes,  the  frightened  ani- 
mals scampering  pell-mell  across  the  prairie.  Rider 
and  arms  left  behind,  the  excited  troop  horse  en- 
joyed to  the  full  his  liberty.  No  fatal  accidents  oc- 
curred, however,  and  the  straying  horses  were  all 
eventually  recovered. 

The  troops  marched  in  separate  bodies.  We 
have  record  of  such  a  detachment  going  into  camp 
on  the  9th  of  July,  in  what  is  now  McPherson 
County,  Kansas,  where  the  trail  crossed  the  Little 
Arkansas.  The  mosquitoes,  gnats,  and  black  flies 
were  so  fierce  as  to  drive  men  and  horses  frantic. 
Lieutenant-colonel  Ruff  of  the  Missouri  volunteers 
was  in  command,  and  his  men  were  very  short  of 
provisions.  Knowing  a  loaded  train  was  ahead 
near  Pawnee  Fork,  he  had  sent  a  scout  forward  to 
halt  it  until  he  could  come  up.  While  he  waited 
for  this  scout  to  return,  word  reached  him  that  Don- 
iphan's  and  Kearney's  men,  just  behind  him,  were 
also  in  a  starving  condition.  To  make  sure  of  early 
relief  he  sent  other  couriers  hastily  forward  to  over- 
haul the  wagon  train,  and  one  of  them,  attempting 
to  ford  the  fork  of  the  Pawnee,  was  drowned.  His 
body  was  recovered  and  given  a  military  burial. 
This  was  the  first  loss  that  occurred  to  the  expedi- 
tion on  the  Plains.  Hughes  writes  thus  of  the  scene 

[166] 


DURING  THE  WAR  WITH  MEXICO 

presenting  itself  as  the  soldiers  approached  the 
river.  Comparing  its  appearance  then  with  its 
appearance  now,  the  great  change  wrought  by 
settlement  can  be  clearly  realized. 

"In  approaching  the  Arkansas,  a  landscape  of  the  most  im- 
posing and  picturesque  nature  makes  its  appearance.  While  the 
green,  glossy  undulations  of  the  prairie  to  the  right  seem  to 
spread  out  in  infinite  succession,  like  waves  subsiding  after  a 
storm,  and  covered  with  herds  of  gambolling  buffalo,  on  the 
left,  towering  to  a  height  of  seventy-five  to  a  hundred  feet,  rise 
the  sun-gilt  summits  of  the  sand  hills,  along  the  base  of  which 
winds  the  broad,  majestic  river,  bespecked  with  verdant  isles, 
thickly  beset  with  cottonwood  timber,  the  sand  hills  resembling 
heaps  of  driven  snow." 

Crossing  the  Pawnee 

It  was  on  July  15  that  these  separate  detach- 
ments formed  junction  at  Pawnee  Fork,  within  the 
limits  of  what  is  now  the  city  of  Larned,  Kansas. 
The  waters  of  the  stream  were  so  high  that  fording 
was  impossible,  and  the  soldiers  were  immediately 
employed  in  cutting  down  cottonwoods  and  build- 
ing a  rude  bridge.  Over  the  tree  trunks  the  army 
passed  safe  to  the  other  shore,  bearing  in  their  arms 
the  sick,  and  all  the  equipments  of  the  camp.  The 
horses  were  compelled  to  swim,  while  the  empty 
wagons  were  floated  across,  and  hauled  up  the  slip- 
pery bank  by  tugging  soldiers.  This  required  the 
incessant  labor  of  two  days ;  and  then  the  little  col- 
umn pressed  resolutely  forward,  the  infantry  plod- 
ding along  beside  the  cavalry,  although  the  march- 
ing feet  became  terribly  blistered,  marking  their 
passage  with  blood.  Two  days  later,  somewhere 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

along  the  Arkansas,  Major  Howard,  an  officer  who 
had  been  sent  forward  to  Santa  Fe  to  learn  the  situ- 
ation, rejoined  them.  His  report  was  that  the  com- 
mon people  of  New  Mexico  favored  the  conditions 
of  peace  proposed  by  Kearney,  but  that  the  officials 
were  hostile  and  making  active  preparations  to  re- 
sist invasion.  Two  thousand  three  hundred  men, 
he  said,  were  already  under  arms  in  Santa  Fe,  while 
another  large  force  was  being  rapidly  organized  at 
Taos.  The  little  army  of  Americans  received  this 
startling  news  with  gallant  cheers,  and  pushed  for- 
ward with  new  vigor,  eagerly  hoping  for  a  fight. 

On  Mexican  Soil 

The  Cimarron  crossing  of  the  Arkansas  was 
reached  on  the  twentieth.  It  was  a  day  of  adven- 
ture. During  the  last  thirty  miles  the  column  had 
been  in  the  midst  of  great  herds  of  buffalo.  Sud- 
denly a  bunch  of  about  four  hundred  swept  up  from 
out  the  valley,  and  charged  headlong  through  the 
marching  ranks.  Instantly  all  was  turmoil  and  con- 
fusion, but  the  troops  rallied,  made  a  counter- 
charge, using  guns,  pistols,  even  drawn  sabres,  kill- 
ing many  of  the  animals,  and  driving  the  remainder 
helter-skelter  over  the  Plains.  On  the  way  up  the 
river  a  few  Mexican  prisoners  were  taken,  but  sub- 
sequently released,  and,  on  the  twenty-ninth,  the 
soldiers  finally  crossed  the  Arkansas  and  made 
their  first  camp  on  Mexican  soil  about  eight  miles 
below  Bent's  Fort.  Here  they  established  strong 
guard  lines  in  protection  against  both  Mexicans 

[168] 


DURING  THE  WAR  WITH  MEXICO 

and  Comanches.  But  they  had  an  unexpected  en- 
emy to  cope  with.  During  the  night  prowling 
wolves  stampeded  the  animals,  and  more  than  a 
thousand  horses  broke  away  from  their  guards  and 
.dashed  madly  over  the  prairie,  frightened  yet  more 
by  dangling  lariats  and  pounding  picket-pins.  Many 
were  followed  for  thirty  to  fifty  miles  before  they 
were  recaptured,  and  nearly  a  hundred  were  never 
recovered.  While  at  this  camp  several  chiefs  of 
the  Arapahoes  appeared,  and  were  hospitably  en- 
tertained. They  were  especially  impressed  by  the 
cannon. 

In  preparation  for  a  general  advance,  twenty 
men,  under  Lieutenant  de  Courcy,  were  sent  for- 
ward to  scout  in  the  direction  of  Taos.  While  on 
this  trip  the  little  party  had  an  unusual  experience 
with  the  obstinacy  of  the  army  mule,  since  related 
by  the  commander.  He  says: 

"  We  took  three  pack-mules  laden  with  provisions,  and,  as 
we  did  not  expect  to  be  long  absent,  the  men  took  no  extra 
clothing.  Three  days  after  we  left  the  column  our  mules  fell 
down,  and  neither  gentle  means,  nor  the  points  of  our  sabres  had 
the  least  effect  in  inducing  them  to  rise.  Their  term  of  service 
with  Uncle  Sam  was  out.  '  What  's  to  be  done  ?  '  said  the  ser- 
geant. '  Dismount,'  said  I.  '  Off  with  your  shirts  and  drawers, 
men!  tie  up  the  sleeves  and  legs,  and  each  man  bag  one  twenti- 
eth part  of  the  flour.'  Having  done  this,  the  bacon  was  distrib- 
uted to  the  men  also,  and  tied  to  the  cruppers  of  their  saddles. 
Thus  loaded  we  pushed  on,  without  the  slightest  fear  of  our 
provision  train  being  cut  off." 

A  Bloodless  Victory  at  Las  Vegas 

The  little  army,  with  flags  flying  and  everything 
in  military  array,  began  its  bold  advance  into  the 

[169] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

enemy's  country  on  the  second  of  August.  While  it 
was  passing  Bent's  Fort,  the  occupants  ran  up  a 
large  American  flag,  and  the  flat  tops  of  the 
houses  were  densely  crowded  with  interested  spec- 
tators. Among  them  were  many  Mexican  girls  and 
Indian  squaws.  The  troops  advanced  steadily  with- 
out alarm  until  they  approached  the  Mexican  town 
of  Las  Vegas.  Here  scouts  reported  the  enemy  as 
being  strongly  entrenched  in  a  mountain  pass  a  few 
miles  beyond  the  village,  where  they  proposed  giv- 
ing battle.  The  soldiers  were  at  once  thrown  into 
battle  line  and  hurried  forward,  the  dragoons  and 
St.  Louis  mounted  volunteers  in  the  lead.  Cart- 
ridges were  distributed,  the  cannon  swabbed  and 
rigged,  the  port  fires  set  burning,  and  every  rifle 
loaded.  The  men  were  eager  for  the  clash  of  arms. 
Yet  all  these  preparations  were  in  vain.  Las 
Vegas  was  entered  without  the  firing  of  a  shot,  and 
the  officials  of  the  village  took  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  United  States,  swearing  upon  the  Cross  instead 
of  the  Bible.  Hardly  delaying  long  enough  for  this 
simple  ceremony  the  eager  soldiery  swept  straight 
on  toward  that  canyon  where  they  yet  hoped  for  the 
grapple  of  arms.  August  16,  on  the  Pecos  River, 
near  the  village  of  San  Jose,  three  Mexican  spies 
were  captured.  The  most  important  of  these,  a  son 
of  General  Salezar,  was  held  prisoner,  but  the  others 
were  released.  It  was  learned  later  that  these  thor- 
oughly frightened  Mexicans  had  reported  to  their 
own  people  that  the  invading  force  was  five  thou- 
sand strong,  with  an  immense  number  of  cannon. 


DURING  THE  WAR  WITH  MEXICO 

Flight  of  the  Mexicans  from  Apache  Canyon 

Armijo,  in  command  of  the  Mexican  defenders, 
had  by  this  time  assembled  seven  thousand  troops, 
most  of  them  well  armed,  and  occupied  a  strong  po- 
sition in  Apache  Canyon.  But  this  news  of  the  num- 
bers of  the  invaders  was  too  much  for  him  and  his 
men,  although  the  day  previous  he  had  written  a 
defiant  note  to  General  Kearney  offering  battle.  It 
was  about  noon  when  the  Americans  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  canyon,  every  man  in  the  ranks  eager 
to  try  the  mettle  of  the  Mexicans.  Emory  thus  de- 
scribes the  scene : 

"The  sun  shone  with  dazzling  brightness;  the  guidons  and 
colors  of  each  squadron,  regiment,  and  battalion  were  for  the 
first  time  unfurled.  The  drooping  horses  seemed  to  take  cour- 
age from  the  gay  array.  The  trumpeters  sounded  'to  horse'  with 
spirit,  and  the  hills  multiplied  and  reechoed  the  call.  All  wore 
the  aspect  of  a  gala  day.  About  the  middle  of  the  day's  march 
the  two  Pueblo  Indians,  previously  sent  to  sound  the  chief  men 
of  that  formidable  tribe,  were  seen  in  the  distance  at  full  speed, 
with  arms  and  lesjs  both  thumping  the  sides  of  their  mules  at 
every  stride.  Something  was  now  surely  in  the  wind.  The 
smaller  and  foremost  of  the  two  dashed  up  to  the  general,  his 
face  radiant  with  joy,  and  exclaimed:  'They  are  in  the  canyon, 
my  brave ;  pluck  up  your  courage  and  push  them  out.'  " 

But  they  were  not  there;  already  the  boasting 
Mexican  army  had  faded  away;  rent  by  quarrels 
and  fear,  and  bearing  their  commander  with  them, 
all  had  fled  to  the  mountains  for  safety.  Forbes 
adds: 

"As  we  approached  the  ancient  town  of  Pecos,  a  large  fat 
fellow,  mounted  on  a  mule,  came  toward  us  at  full  speed,  and, 
extending  his  hand  to  the  general,  congratulated  him  on  the  ar- 

[171] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

rival  of  himself  and  army.  He  said,  with  a  roar  of  laughter, 
'Armijo  and  his  troops  have  gone  to  hell,  and  the  canyon  is  all 
clear.'  " 

Thus  easily  was  New  Mexico  won  without 
bloodshed,  and  the  centuries-long  Spanish  influence 
on  the  Great  Plains  swept  away  forever.  The  waves 
of  war  passed  on  to  the  south  and  west  beyond  the 
limits  of  this  region  whose  story  is  being  now  con- 
sidered. With  Doniplan's  hardships  and  sufferings 
in  the  mountains,  and  Kearney's  wonderful  march 
across  Arizona  to  California,  we  have  nothing  to 
do.  When  Armijo  fled  from  the  country  it  became 
the  undisputed  property  of  the  United  States,  and 
the  conquest  of  New  Mexico  was  practically  ended. 


[172] 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  REIGN  OF  THE  PRAIRIE  SCHOONER 

Increase  of  Santa  Fe  Trade 

THE  close  of  the  Mexican  war  brought  with  it 
a  new  era  to  the  Plains.  The  reign  of  the 
prairie  schooner  then  began  in  earnest.  Almost  im- 
mediately the  freight  business  between  Missouri 
River  points  and  Santa  Fe  increased  to  a  wonderful 
degree.  Where  before  a  yearly  caravan  was  deemed 
sufficient  for  the  trade,  from  now  on,  during  the 
season  of  safe  travel,  the  trail  was  seldom  vacant  of 
slow-toiling  wagons.  Wages  for  teamsters  rose 
steadily,  although  prices  for  transportation  had  a 
marked  tendency  downward  because  of  increasing 
competition.  However,  profits  were  sufficient,  even 
taking  into  account  the  growing  hostility  of  the  In- 
dian tribes,  and  the  consequent  danger  of  the  pas- 
sage. The  usual  price  charged  for  thus  hauling 
freight  to  Santa  Fe  was  ten  dollars  a  hundred 
pounds,  each  wagon  earning  from  five  hundred  to 
six  hundred  dollars  every  trip,  the  average  time  con- 
sumed being  eighty  or  ninety  days.  About  this  time 
the  eastern  terminus  of  the  trade  shifted  to  a  con- 
siderable degree  from  Independence  to  Westport, 
and  Kansas  City  began  her  steady  advance  toward 
supremacy. 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

The  Rush  of  Gold-Seekers  over  the  Oregon  Trail 

During  this  period  the  Oregon  Trail  was  not 
neglected,  but  was  being  constantly  traversed  by 
emigrant  trains  bound  for  the  Columbia  River 
country  of  California.  But  by  the  Spring  of  1849, 
when  the  gold  rush  began,  this  slender  current  be- 
came suddenly  transformed  into  a  mighty  torrent. 
In  all  the  chronicles  of  men  there  is  nothing  to  com- 
pare with  the  stream  of  humanity  which  then  began 
flowing  across  an  unconquered  wilderness.  No  one 
may  even  guess  at  the  numbers  involved.  There 
are  no  statistics  to  turn  to.  It  has  been  roughly  es- 
timated that  in  that  first  year  alone  forty-two  thou- 
sand people  crossed  the  Plains.  Lummis,  in  a 
remarkable  article  on  Pioneer  Transportation,  in 
McClure's  Magazine,  from  whom  I  quote  freely  in 
this  chapter,  pictures  this  exodus  in  these  powerful 
words : 

"  In  its  pathless  distance,  its  inevitable  hardships,  and  its  fre- 
quent savage  perils,  reckoned  with  the  character  of  the  men, 
women,  and  children  concerned,  it  stands  alone.  The  era  was 
one  of  national  hard  times ;  and  not  only  the  professional  failures, 
but  ministers,  doctors,  lawyers,  merchants,  and  farmers,  with 
their  families,  caught  the  new  yellow  fever,  and  betook  them- 
selves to  a  journey  fifty  times  as  long  and  hard  as  the  average 
of  them  had  ever  taken  before.  Powder,  lead,  food-stuffs,  house- 
hold goods,  wives,  sisters,  mothers,  and  babies  rode  in  the  Osna- 
burg-sheeted  prairie  schooners,  or  whatsoever  wheeled  convey- 
ance the  emigrant  could  secure,  up  from  ancient  top-buggies 
to  new  Conestogas;  while  the  men  rode  their  horses  or  mules, 
or  trudged  beside  the  caravans.  A  historic  party  of  five  French- 
men pushed  a  hand-wagon  from  the  Missouri  to  the  Coast;  and 
one  man  trundled  his  possessions  in  a  wheelbarrow.  At  its  best, 
it  was  an  itinerary  untranslatable  to  the  present  generation;  at 

[174] 


REIGN  OF  THE  PRAIRIE  SCHOONER 

its  worst,  with  Indian  massacres,  thirst,  snows,  tenderfootedness, 
and  disease,  it  was  one  of  the  ghastliest  highways  in  history. 
The  worst  chapter  of  cannibalism  in  our  national  record  was 
that  of  the  Donner  Party,  snowed  in  from  November  to  March, 
1849-50  in  the  Sierra  Nevada.  In  the  fifties  the  Asiatic  cholera 
crawled  in  upon  the  Plains,  and  like  a  gray  wolf  followed  the 
wagon-trains  from  the  River  to  the  Rockies.  In  the  height  of 
the  migration,  from  four  thousand  to  five  thousand  immigrants 
died  of  this  pestilence;  and  if  there  was  a  half-mile  which  the 
Indians  had  failed  to  punctuate  with  a  grave,  the  cholera  took 
care  to  remedy  the  omission.  The  two-thousand-mile  trip  was 
a  matter  of  four  months  when  least,  and  of  six  with  bad  luck. 
Children  were  born,  and  people  died;  worried  greenhorns  quar- 
relled and  killed  one  another  —  and  the  train  straggled  on.  Up 
on  the  head-waters  of  the  Platte  one  probably  could  find,  even 
now,  the  crumbling  remnants  of  a  little  cottonwood  scaffold, 
and  of  her  rocking  chair,  which  was  left  upon  it  to  mark  the 
grave  of  a  mother  who  gave  up  her  life  there  to  the  birth  of  a 
child  later  not  unknown  in  the  history  of  California.  On  the 
southern  route — through  New  Mexico  and  Arizona — Commis- 
sioner Bartlett  took  cognizance  of  one  hundred  deserted  wagons. 
Already  in  the  summer  of  1849,  1,500  wagons,  bound  for  '  Cali- 
forny,'  crossed  the  Missouri  at  St.  Joe  alone  in  six  weeks.  In 
.1850,  Kirkpatrick  counted  459  west-bound  teams  in  nine  miles." 

Freight  Traffic  to  the  Pacific  in  the  Sixties 

In  the  rear  of  this  immense  emigrant  traffic 
there  immediately  sprang  up  a  vast  freighting  in- 
terest, which  at  this  day  seems  almost  incredible. 
We  can  but  roughly  estimate  its  importance.  We 
know  this,  that  during  the  sixties  five  hundred  heav- 
ily laden  wagons  frequently  passed  Fort  Kearney 
in  a  single  day.  In  1865,  within  six  weeks,  six  thou- 
sand wagons  filled  with  freight  rolled  past  that  iso- 
lated post  on  the  Overland  Trail.  Frank  A.  Root, 
about  that  time  an  express  messenger,  who  later 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

published  an  interesting  volume,  "The  Overland 
Stage  to  California,"  records  that  in  a  single  day's 
ride  between  Fort  Kearney  and  old  Julesburg,  he 
counted  888  west-bound  wagons,  drawn  by  10,650 
oxen,  horses,  and  mules.  In  illustrating  the  slow- 
ness of  this  mode  of  travel,  Root,  starting  one  day 
from  Atchison  on  his  stage,  spoke  to  a  bull-whacker 
who  was  just  pulling  out.  Root  went  through  to 
Denver,  and  doubled  back,  meeting  his  friend  on 
the  road.  This  experience  was  repeated  again  and 
again,  the  express  messenger  seeing  the  bull- 
whacker  for  the  last  time  as  he  rolled  into  Denver. 
Root  had  accomplished  five  single  trips,  having  cov- 
ered 3,265  miles,  with  eighteen  days'  lay  over,  while 
the  freighter  had  wheeled  slowly  653  miles. 

Freighting  across  the  Plains  attained  to  its 
greatest  magnitude  during  and  for  a  short  time 
after  the  Civil  War,  from  1863  to  1866,  but  during 
the  entire  decade  from  1859  to  1869  it  was  of  im- 
mense proportions.  The  major  portion  of  it  was 
carried  on  along  the  mainly  used  trails  to  Santa  Fe 
and  California,  but  the  minor  trails,  soon  estab- 
lished, and  leading  from  post  to  post  scattered 
throughout  the  Indian  country,  were  often  trav- 
ersed by  freighters  in  Government  employ.  In  such 
cases  small  detachments  of  troops,  commonly  riding 
in  an  ambulance  drawn  by  mules,  accompanied  the 
lumbering  wagons  as  escort.  These  found  many  a 
bit  of  strenuous  service  to  perform  in  bringing  their 
charges  safely  through.  On  the  long  trails,  how- 
ever, the  hardy  wagoners  had  to  rely  upon  their 

[176] 


REIGN  OF  THE  PRAIRIE  SCHOONER 

own  ready  rifles  to  assure  their  passage,  and  usually 
travelled  in  long  trains,  under  a  rude  yet  effective 
discipline.  It  was  sure  to  be  a  long,  tedious  trip, 
but  usually  contained  sufficient  incident  to  relieve 
the  dull  routine.  During  all  the  later  years  the 
Indian  tribes  were  restless  and  dangerous,  seldom 
venturing  on  open  attack,  but  always  seeking  oppor- 
tunity to  run  off  stock,  or  dash  down  upon  a 
loitering  wagon,  or  a  straying  hunter.  This  hostility 
of  the  savages  can  be  traced  back  to  the  reckless  bar- 
barism of  the  teamsters  themselves.  The  Santa  Fe 
Trail  became  a  trail  of  blood,  yet  it  was  peaceful 
enough  until  wanton  shooting  of  Indians  by  whites 
compelled  the  tribes  to  retaliate.  In  the  earliest 
days  an  unarmed  man  could  have  walked  in  safety 
the  entire  distance.  In  the  height  of  the  freighting 
enterprise  oxen  were  more  commonly  used  than  any 
other  animals.  They  made  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
miles  a  day  with  loaded  wagons,  and  averaged 
twenty  miles  when  returning  light.  With  good  care 
oxen  covered  two  thousand  miles  during  the  usual 
season  of  Plains  travel,  extending  from  April  to 
November. 

The  Teamster  and  the  Indian 

As  well  illustrating  the  constant  danger  hover- 
ing over  careless  stragglers,  a  reminiscence  related 
by  General  Forsyth  of  an  incident  that  occurred 
during  the  construction  of  the  Kansas  Pacific  Rail- 
road, is  apropos.  It  is  thus  related  in  "The  Story 
of  the  Soldier": 

"On  one  occasion,  near  the  Smoky  Hill  River  in  Colorado, 

[177] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

five  or  six  of  the  teamsters  during  .nooning  hour  on  a  hot  mid- 
summer day,  despite  positive  orders  to  the  contrary,  strayed  over 
toward  the  river  bank,  a  good  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  and 
dropped  down  in  the  shade  of  a  solitary  cottonwood  tree  that 
grew  there.  In  a  few  moments  a  well-mounted  war  party  of 
eight  or  ten  Cheyennes,  who  were  lying  concealed  in  the  river 
bottom  just  under  a  cut  bank  on  this  side  of  the  river,  suddenly 
dashed  out  and  made  for  them.  But  one  of  the  party  had  any 
arms,  and  he  had  only  a  revolver.  In  a  moment  the  Indians 
were  upon  them,  and  the  men,  running  for  their  lives,  started 
toward  the  railroad,  while  the  soldiers,  grasping  their  rifles,  ran 
to  their  rescue,  opening  fire  on  the  Indians  as  they  ran.  Two 
of  the  teamsters  were  shot  down  and  scalped,  but  the  man  with 
the  revolver  kept  his  head,  and  by  threatening  the  nearest  war- 
riors caused  them  to  sheer  off  as  they  closed  on  him,  and  the 
soldiers  getting  within  range  soon  made  it  so  hot  for  them  that 
they  fled.  One  of  the  men,  however,  a  long-legged  Missourian 
teamster,  had  been  headed  off  on  his  way  to  the  track  by  an  en- 
terprising warrior,  who  sought  to  run  him  down  and  transfix 
him  with  a  spear  after  he  had  failed  to  hit  him  with  a  rifle  shot. 
This  teamster  happened  to  have  had  a  new  leather-thonged  bull 
whip  issued  to  him  that  day,  and  having  some  misgivings  as  to 
whether  he  would  find  it  in  his  wagon  on  his  return  from  his 
dinner,  had,  fortunately  for  himself,  taken  it  with  him  when 
he  and  his  companions  sought  their  noon  siesta  under  the  cotton- 
wood  tree.  Running  for  dear  life,  he  unconsciously  held  the 
whip  in  his  hand,  and  just  as  the  Indian  was  upon  him,  and 
about  to  transfix  him  by  hurling  his  spear,  he  glanced  over  his 
shoulder  and  almost  instinctively  made  a  backward  cut  with  his 
whip  at  the  Indian's  pony,  the  lash  striking  the  animal  full  In 
the  face.  The  horse  swerved  so  suddenly  as  to  divert  the  war- 
rior's aim,  and,  though  he  hurled  the  missile,  the  spear  missed 
its  mark,  and  as  the  pony  dashed  close  by  him  our  teamster  saw 
his  only  chance. 

"Grasping  the  tail  of  the  now  frightened  and  fleeing  ani- 
mal, he  began  a  hail  of  strokes  on  the  bare  back  of  the  Indian 
that  only  one  who  has  seen  the  way  in  which  a  Western  bull- 
whacker  can  handle  a  blacksnake  whip  can  fully  appreciate. 
Every  stroke  drew  blood,  and  the  teamster  rained  down  the 
blows  unsparingly  and  savagely. 

[178] 


REIGN  OF  THE  PRAIRIE  SCHOONER 

"In  vain  did  the  Indian  cower  to  his  pony's  back,  and  dig 
his  heels  into  his  sides,  and  lash  the  animal  desperately  with  his 
quirt,  for  the  teamster  held  on  like  grim  death  as  he  ran,  and 
plied  his  strokes  swiftly;  and  unerringly,  and  it  was  not  until  he 
was  exhausted  with  running  and  stumbled  over  a  hillock  that 
the  Indian's  pony  broke  loose,  and,  with  a  parting  cut  of  the 
teamster's  whip  across  his  hind  legs,  tore  madly  away  toward 
the  other  warriors,  who,  fearing  the  aim  of  the  soldiers,  and  not 
daring  to  come  to  his  rider's  rescue,  were  galloping  wildly 
around  just  out  of  rifle  range,  whooping,  laughing,  and  yelling 
with  delight  at  the  absurd  plight  of  the  discomfited  brave,  who, 
it  is  safe  to  say,  from  henceforth,  until  he  had  managed  to  re- 
habilitate himself  by  some  daring  deed  of  blood,  would  be  dubbed 
and  held  only  as  a  squaw  in  the  Indians'  camp.  As  for  .our 
long-legged  Missouri  teamster  he  was  the  hero  of  the  hour,  and 
deserved  to  be." 

Immense  Traffic  at  the  Outfitting  Points 

It  has  been  estimated  that  while  the  reign  of  the 
prairie  schooner  was  at  its  zenith,  the  floating  pop- 
ulation on  the  Great  Plains  amounted  to  fully  250, 
ooo.  In  1865  more  than  twenty-one  million  pounds 
of  freight  was  thus  conveyed  westward  from  Atchi- 
son  alone,  and  to  transport  it  4,917  wagons  were  re- 
quired, with  6,164  mules,  27,685  oxen,  and  1,256 
men.  Yet  this  was  but  a  drop  in  the  bucket  as  com- 
pared with  the  traffic  at  the  numerous  other  outfit- 
ting points  along  the  border.  The  firms  engaged 
in  this  business  were  many,  and  their  employees  an 
army.  From  Fort  Smith,  Independence,  Kansas 
City,  St.  Joseph,  Atchison,  Council  Bluffs,  and 
other  less  known  points  of  departure,  the  great 
wagon  streams  swept  forth  into  the  Plains,  their 
aggregate  number  beyond  any  possible  estimate  of 
to-day.  The  greatest  firm  in  the  trade,  that  of 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

Russell,  Majors,  and  Waddell,  at  one  time  employed 
6,250  huge  wagons,  and  75,000  oxen.    As  Lummis 

says : 

"Probably  there  are  not  to-day  so  many  oxen  working  in 
the  United  States  as  this  one  firm  used  half  a  century  ago. 
This  may  give  some  faint  idea  of  the  mighty  traffic  whose  wheels 
wrinkled  the  face  of  the  Far  West,  and  the  smoke  of  whose 
dusty  torments  'ascended  up  forever/  and  reddened  the  prairie 
sunsets  for  a  generation." 

The  Organization  of  a  Freight  Caravan 

For  a  moment  consider  the  organization  of  such 
a  train  and  its  cost.  Usually  not  less  than  twenty- 
five  wagons  travelled  together  for  better  protection. 
They  were  huge,  long-geared  prairie  schooners, 
flaring  from  the  bottom  upward,  sometimes  seven- 
teen feet  long,  with  six  feet  depth  of  hold,  and  a 
capacity  of  anywhere  from  five  thousand  to  sixteen 
thousand  pounds  each.  Over  all,  upheld  by  stout 
hickory  bows  was  the  canvas  cover.  From  six  to 
twelve  yoke  of  oxen  furnished  the  propelling 
power,  under  the  inspiration  of  one  or  more  "  bull- 
whackers."  The  men  travelling  with  such  a 
caravan  numbered  thirty-one  —  a  captain,  or  wag- 
onmaster,  his  assistant,  a  night  herder,  and  the 
"cavayard  driver,"  or  in  Spanish  caballada,  who 
had  charge  of  the  spare  horses,  with,  at  least  a 
driver  to  each  wagon.  Of  the  latter  those  handling 
oxen,  or  "bull  teams"  were  known  as  "bull- 
whackers,"  while  the  others,  devoting  their  energy 
and  profanity  to  the  steering  of  long-eared  "crit- 
ters," were  denominated  "  mule-skinners,"  and  each 
class  well  deserved  its  name.  The  trail  was  never 

[180] 


REIGN  OF  THE  PRAIRIE  SCHOONER 

noted  for  sentimentality,  or  mercy  to  dumb  beasts. 
In  the  last  years  of  prairie  freighting,  after  1859, 
"  trailers  "  were  quite  commonly  used.  The  trailer 
was  a  second,  and  generally  a  smaller  wagon,  chained 
to  the  one  in  the  lead.  The  amount  of  money  in- 
vested in  such  a  wagon-train  reached  a  surprising 
figure.  The  huge  Conestoga,  Pittsburg,  or  Penn- 
sylvania wagons  cost  from  eight  hundred  dollars 
to  one  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  each;  first- 
class  mules  (and  no  others  could  do  the  work)  five 
hundred  dollars  to  one  thousand  dollars  a  pair; 
harness  for  the  ten-mule  team  three  hundred  dollars 
to  six  hundred  dollars,  making  a  total  running  from 
$2,600  to  $7,100  for  each  wagon.  To  this  must  be 
added  salaries,  provisions,  and  incidentals. 

Regular  freight  caravans  as  thus  constituted, 
and  running  west  from  the  Missouri  River,  not 
only  greatly  stimulated  emigration,  but  did  much 
to  lower  the  cost  of  transportation.  In  the  days  of 
the  pack-train  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  pay 
one  dollar  a  pound  per  one  hundred  miles,  or  $20 
a  ton  per  mile.  The  tariff  of  the  overland 
freighters  between  Atchison  and  Denver  (620 
miles)  is  thus  given  by  Lummis: 

Flour gc      per  Ib.  Whiskey 1 8c      per  Ib. 

Sugar 13/^c  per  Ib.  Glass iQ^c  per  Ib. 

Bacon  and  dry  Trunks 250      per  Ib. 

goods 150      per  Ib.  Furniture 310      per  Ib. 

Everything  went  by  the  pound,  and  the  trip  re- 
quired twenty-one  days  for  horses  or  mules,  and 
five  weeks  for  oxen. 

[181] 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  OVERLAND  ROUTE 

The  Oregon  Trail  Used  by  Trappers  and  Mormons 

E)NG  before  the  first  coming  of  the  white  man 
to  this  magnificent  domain  of  the  West,  the 
beautiful  valley  of  the  Platte  had  been  used  as  a 
natural  pathway  leading  to  the  mountains.  The 
pioneer  trappers  and  traders  soon  discovered  its 
feasibility  and  were  travelling  this  route  in  the  ear- 
liest years  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Pushing  on 
still  farther  toward  the  setting  sun  in  their  eager 
search  after  furs,  these  hardy  wanderers  conquered 
the  secrets  of  the  grim  ranges  beyond,  connecting 
the  more  easily  accessible  crossings  of  the  moun- 
tains and  deserts,  until  by  1843,  there  was  a  well- 
defined,  and  continuous  route  of  travel,  passable  even 
for  wagons,  stretching  in  unbroken  line  from  the 
Missouri  River  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia.  This  later  became  known  widely 
as  the  Oregon  Trail. 

At  first  its  eastern  terminus  was  the  mouth  of 
the  Platte;  before  serious  emigration  or  settlement 
began,  this  terminus  had  shifted  southward,  but  the 
entire  Platte  Valley  was  always  utilized  to  a  consid- 
erable extent.  In  1842  Lieutenant  Fremont,  on  his 
first  exploring  expedition,  travelled  up  the  valley 
of  the  Blue,  thus  opening  a  practical  and  easy  trail 
from  the  outfitting  stations  of  western  Missouri  to 


THE   OVERLAND   ROUTE 

Grand  Island.  The  Mormon  exodus  of  1847  jour- 
neyed the  full  length  of  the  Platte  Valley,  but  the 
later  emigrants  to  Oregon,  as  well  as  the  California 
gold-seekers,  preferred  the  shorter  route  across  the 
prairies  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  The  Platte  Valley 
is  wide  and  beautiful,  once  covered  with  luxuriant 
grass  and  dotted  with  wild  flowers.  About  it  in 
those  old  days  stretched  a  desert  of  plain  and  prairie 
awful  in  its  loneliness,  and  roamed  over  by  treacher- 
ous savages.  The  river  itself  was  broad  but  shal- 
low, at  some  seasons  almost  disappearing  in  the 
sand.  Three-quarters  of  a  century  ago  Washington 
Irving  spoke  of  it  as  — 

"the  most  magnificent  and  most  useless  of  streams.  Abstraction 
made  of  its  defects,  nothing  can  be  more  pleasing  than  the  per- 
spective which  it  presents  to  the  eye.  Its  islands  have  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  labyrinth  of  groves  floating  on  the  waters.  Their 
extraordinary  position  gives  an  air  of  youth  and  loveliness  to  the 
whole  scene.  If  to  this  be  added  the  undulations  of  the  river, 
the  waving  of  the  verdure,  the  alternations  of  light  and  shade, 
the  succession  of  these  islands  varying  in  form  and  beauty,  and 
the  purity  of  the  atmosphere,  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the 
pleasing  sensations  which  the  traveller  experiences  on  beholding 
a  scene  that  seems  to  have  started  fresh  from  the  hands  of  the 
Creator." 

Difficulty  of  Tracing  the  Road  Now 

Any  tracing  of  the  old  Oregon,  or  Overland 
Trail,  can  be  only  approximate,  owing  to  the  many 
changes  wrought  by  settlement.  Most  of  the  old 
road  has  long  since  been  ploughed  up,  and,  although 
many  names  of  places  famous  in  the  olden  days  yet 
survive,  they  are  rarely  located  in  the  original  spots. 
Yet  once  it  was  all  plain  enough,  for  as  the  inflow 

[183] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

of  emigration  rapidly  increased,  the  road  became 
so  deeply  worn  that  frequently  new  ones  were  found 
necessary,  and  thus,  from  one  cause  and  another, 
there  were  often  parallel  lines  for  considerable  dis- 
tances. Sometimes  only  a  few  feet  separated  the 
trails,  and  again  they  swerved  away  from  each  other 
for  several  miles.  It  was  a  wonderful  highway, 
perhaps  the  most  remarkable  in  history.  Every  mile 
of  it  had  been  a  scene  of  hardship  and  suffering,  of 
battle  and  sudden  death,  of  high  purpose  and  stern 
determination.  Nowhere  else  in  the  world  —  not 
even  in  Siberia  —  was  there  ever  so  long  a  highway 
across  which  population  and  traffic  moved  in  con- 
tinuous journey  from  one  end  to  the  other.  In  all 
that  immense  distance  the  earlier  travellers  beheld 
no  evidence  of  civilized  habitation  between  Inde- 
pendence and  Fort  Vancouver,  excepting  four  small 
trading-posts.  For  two  thousand  miles  it  stretched 
away  through  an  utter  wilderness;  as  Chittenden 
says,  "  No  transit  ever  located  a  foot  of  it,  no  level 
established  its  grades,  no  engineer  sought  out  the 
fords,  built  any  bridges,  or  surveyed  the  mountain 
passes."  Yet  Father  De  Smet,  who  had  seen  all 
Europe,  pronounced  it  one  of  the  finest  highways 
in  the  world. 

Nevertheless  it  was  not  always  so.  It  was  not 
when  heavy  rains  transformed  it  into  a  quagmire, 
or  when  the  prairies  became  dry  and  parched, — 

"the  road  filled  with  stifling  dust,  the  stream  beds  mere  dry  ra- 
vines, or  carrying  only  alkaline  water  which  could  not  be  used, 
the  game  all  gone  to  more  hospitable  sections,  and  the  summer 


THE   OVERLAND   ROUTE 

sun  pouring  down  its  heat  with  torrid  intensity.  It  was  then 
that  the  trail  became  a  highway  of  desolation,  strewn  with 
abandoned  property,  the  skeletons  of  horses,  mules,  and  oxen, 
and,  alas!  too  often  with  freshly  made  mounds  and  head-boards 
that  told  the  pitiful  tale  of  sufferings  too  great  to  be  endured. 
If  the  trail  was  the  scene  of  romance,  adventure,  pleasure,  and 
excitement,  so  it  was  marked  in  every  mile  of  its  course  by  hu- 
man misery,  tragedy,  and  death."  x 

To  be  caught  upon  the  trail  during  the  winter 
months,  when  blizzards  were  common,  was  a  most 
desperate  and  dangerous  situation  for  both  man  and 
beast. 

The  Trail,  in  many  places  a  hundred  feet  or 
more  wide,  running  directly  across  the  open  Plains, 
presented  a  most  astonishing  sight  when  first 
viewed.  The  Indians  called  it  the  "  Great  Medicine 
Road  of  the  Whites,"  and  were  profoundly  im- 
pressed with  the  vast  multitude  swarming  along  it. 
Captain  Raynolds,  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S. 
Army,  came  south  from  the  Yellowstone  in  1859, 
and  struck  the  Trail  near  the  first  ford  of  the  North 
Platte.  Never  having  seen  the  great  road  he  inno- 
cently asked  his  guide,  Jim  B ridge r,  if  there  was 
any  danger  of  their  crossing  the  Trail  without  see- 
ing it.  Bridgets  only  answer  was  a  look  of  con- 
temptuous amazement. 

Prominent  Points  on  the  Route 

The  majority  of  the  Rocky  Mountain,  Colum- 
bia, and  California  expeditions  started  from'  Inde- 
pendence, Missouri.  Leaving  that  border  town  the 

1  Chittenden. 

[185] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

route  followed  the  old  Santa  Fe  Trail  for  about  two 
days'  journey,  the  last  camping-ground  being  at 
Round  or  Caravan  Grove,  thirty-three  miles  from 
Independence.  Eight  miles  beyond  this  a  rough 
signboard  stood  pointing  to  the  right;  on  it  were 
the  words  "  Road  to  Oregon."  Never  before  or 
since  has  so  simple  an  announcement  pointed  the 
way  to  so  long  and  hard  a  journey.  It  was  at  this 
point  the  two  great  historic  trails  of  the  Plains  di- 
verged, and  this  important  junction  was  a  little 
northwest  of  the  present  town  of  Gardner,  Kansas. 

Mention  need  be  made  only  briefly  of  the  more 
prominent  points  beyond  this,  usually  camping 
spots,  which  were  utilized,  a  little  later,  as  stations 
for  the  Overland  stages  or  the  Pony  Express.  The 
first  of  these  was  Wakarusa  Creek.  The  ford  was 
near  where  the  railroad  running  south  from  Law- 
rence now  crosses  the  stream.  From  this  point  the 
trail  followed  the  divide  between  the  Wakarusa 
and  the  Kansas,  until  it  swerved  down  to  the  latter 
river  at  what  was  then  known  as  Papin's  Ferry,  be- 
ing about  the  present  location  of  the  city  of  Topeka. 
The  next  stop  was  on  Turkey  Creek,  near  the  town 
now  known  as  Rossville,  the  traveller  being  by  this 
time  ninety-five  miles  from  Independence.  The 
Little  Vermilion  was  attained  close  to  the  site  of 
the  modern  Louisville;  and  the  Big,  or  Black  Ver- 
milion, about  where  the  present  Bigelow  stands. 

One  hundred  and  seventy-four  miles  from  Inde- 
pendence the  caravan  arrived  at  the  Big  Blue.  The 
stream  was  forded  near  the  mouth  of  the  Little 

[186] 


THE   OVERLAND   ROUTE 

Blue,  and,  eight  miles  beyond,  close  to  the  present 
location  of  Ballard  Falls,  a  junction  was  made  with 
a  trail  leading  from  St.  Joseph,  about  one  hundred 
miles  distant.  From  Wythe's  Creek,  some  twenty 
miles  farther  on,  the  road  ran  along  the  Little  Blue, 
finally  crossing  the  Big  Sandy  near  its  mouth.  This 
is  now  Nebraska;  the  trail  cut  across  a  bend  in  the 
Little  Blue,  and  came  down  close  to  the  banks  of 
that  stream  once  more  a  few  miles  northwest  of 
Hebron,  Nebraska.  At  the  head  of  the  Little  Blue, 
close  to  the  present  village  of  Leroy,  and  two  hun- 
dred and  ninety-six  miles  from  Independence,  the 
trail  passed  into  the  valley  of  the  Platte.  Ap- 
proaching this  river  the  traveller  came  upon  a  range 
t)f  low  hills  built  up  by  the  winds  from  the  drifting 
sands.  They  were  known  on  the  Trail  as  the  "  Coasts 
of  the  Platte."  Here  the  river  was  a  wide,  muddy 
stream,  with  low  banks,  flat  sand-bars,  and  pygmy 
islands,  straggling  through  the  prairie,  and,  Inman 
says,  "only  saved  from  being  impossible  to  find  with 
the  naked  eye  by  its  sentinel  trees  standing  at  long 
distances  from  each  other  on  either  side."  The  val- 
ley at  this  point  was  about  seven  miles  wide,  and  the 
bed  of  the  river  between  one  and  two  miles  from 
bank  to  bank. 

The  Story  of  Brady  Island 

It  was  twenty  miles  below  the  head  of  Grand 
Island  that  the  old  Trail  swept  down  into  the  val- 
ley. In  early  days  this  island  was  densely  wooded, 
and  extended  for  over  sixty  miles.  From  here  the 
Trail  followed  the  stream  up  to  the  junction  of  the 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

North  and  South  Forks.  On  the  way  only  two 
points  of  special  interest  need  be  referred  to  —  Wood 
and  Brady  Islands.  The  first  of  these  was  a  noted 
landmark  and  camping  spot,  and  is  now  a  station  on 
the  Union  Pacific.  The  story  of  how  Brady  Island 
became  so  named  is  thus  told  by  Rufus  Sage,  and 
quoted  by  Chittenden : 

"In  1863  a  party  of  trappers  was  descending  the  Platte  in 
a  boat  heavily  laden  with  furs.  Brady  and  a  companion  had 
quarrelled  a  good  deal  en  route,  and  remained  very  bitter  to- 
ward each  other.  While  in  camp  on  the  island  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  party  went  out  to  hunt,  leaving  Brady  and  his  enemy 
to  guard  the  boat.  Upon  their  return  they  found  Brady  dead, 
having  been  killed,  according  to  his  companion's  statement,  by 
the  accidental  discharge  of  his  own  gun.  The  party  doubted 
the  truth  of  the  story,  but  could  not  disprove  it.  They  re- 
sumed their  journey  after  burying  Brady,  but  were  soon  com- 
pelled by  the  shallow  water  to  take  to  the  shore.  Becoming 
destitute  of  provisions,  they  separated,  and  started  for  the  set- 
tlements, each  man  by  himself.  The  night  after  the  separation 
the  suspected  murderer  was  trying  to  light  a  fire  by  the  dis- 
charge of  his  pistol,  in  order  to  drive  off  mosquitoes,  when  in 
some  way  he  discharged  it  into  his  own  thigh,  inflicting  a  dan- 
gerous wound.  He  lay  there  in  agony  for  six  days,  when  he 
was  found  by  some  Pawnee  Indians  and  taken  to  the  lodge  of  a 
chief.  Here  he  lingered  for  a  few  days  and  died.  Before  he 
died  he  confessed  to  the  murder  of  Brady." 

Points  on  the  Forks  of  the  Platte 

The  Lower  Ford  of  the  South  Platte  was  117 
miles  from  where  the  Trail  first  entered  the  valley 
at  Grand  Island,  and  433  miles  from  Independence. 
A  few  of  the  emigrants  and  freighters  crossed  here, 
moving  out  into  a  slender  tongue  of  land  lying  be- 
tween the  two  Forks,  but  the  majority  preferred  to 

[188] 


THE   OVERLAND   ROUTE 

keep  on  along  the  main  Trail  for  sixty-three  miles 
farther  until  they  came  to  the  Upper  Ford  of  the 
South  Platte.  Here  one  trail  turned  off  to  the 
southwest,  following  the  stream,  and  led  to  Bent's 
Fort  on  the  Arkansas,  and  thence  to  Taos  and  Santa 
Fe.  But  the  main  route  forded  the  river  and  struck 
across  to  Ash  Hollow,  where  it  came  out  upon  the 
banks  of  the  North  Fork.  The  Trail  soon  began 
passing  through  a  section  where  huge  rocks  were 
numerous,  formed  into  fantastic  shapes,  which  re- 
ceived appropriate  names  from  the  earlier  ex- 
plorers. Among  these  were  Court  House  Rock, 
555  miles  from  Independence,  and  Chimney  Rock, 
sixteen  miles  beyond.  This  last  was  in  the  form 
of  a  cylindrical  tower  rising  from  the  top  of  a  coni- 
cal hill.  Rufus  Sage,  in  1841,  estimated  that  the 
hill  was  300  feet  high  and  the  tower  200.  Accord- 
ing to  recent  observations  this  estimate  is  excessive. 
Forty-five  miles  beyond  this  point  the  travellers 
came  to  another  famous  landmark  known  as  Scott's 
Bluffs.  The  origin  of  the  name  has  been  told  in  the 
chapter  upon  the  early  fur-traders.  About  half-way 
between  Chimney  Rock  and  Scott's  Bluffs  the  road 
bore  away  from  the  river,  but  at  this  point  returned 
to  it  again. 

From  the  Plains  into  the  Mountains 

Horse  Creek,  630  miles  from  Independence,  was 
the  next  camping  place;  and,  thirty-seven  miles  be- 
yond, the  wagons  rolled  up  to  the  banks  of  Laramie 
River,  and  the  wearied  emigrants  took  a  resting 

[189] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

spell  at  Fort  John,  or  later,  Fort  Laramie,  one  of 
the  old  time  trading-posts,  the  first  human  habita- 
tion to  be  reached  in  all  that  long  journey.  This 
river  received  its  name  from  a  French-Canadian 
trapper,  Joseph  Laramie,  who  lost  his  life  on  its 
banks  in  1821.  Here  it  was  customary  for  the  emi- 
grant trains  to  go  into  camp  and  refit  for  the  harder 
mountain  travelling  ahead,  as  the  next  place  where 
they  could  buy  material  and  find  workmen  was  at 
Fort  Bridger,  394  miles  distant.  Leaving  Laramie, 
the  emigrants  finally  departed  from  the  Plains  and 
entered  upon  the  mountains,  and  consequently  there 
is  no  necessity  of  our  following  the  Trail  further. 
But  wearisome  as  the  slow  journey  has  already  been, 
the  pioneers  have  not  as  yet  half-way  completed 
their  route  to  the  Pacific  at  the  mouth  of  the  Colum- 
bia. Ahead  of  them  the  old  Trail  stretched  across 
mountain  and  desert  for  1,353  miles. 

Sufferings  of  the  Early  Emigrants 

And  oh,  the  men,  the  women,  the  children  who 
completed  it!  Who  starved,  suffered,  and  agonized, 
yet  marched  ever  forward  in  misery;  who  faced  the 
burning  heat,  the  stifling  dust,  the  dead  monotony  of 
the  Plains,  the  snows  and  perils  of  the  mountains,  the 
awful  desolation  of  the  deserts,  yet  with  undaunted 
hearts  pressed  sternly  on!  The  long  miles,  the  skulk- 
ing savages,  the  rude  fare,  the  nights  beneath  desert 
stars,  the  days  under  the  burning  sun,  the  never  ceas- 
ing toil,  the  constant  sense  of  danger,  only  served 
to  develop  the  manhood  and  womanhood  of  these 

[190] 


FORT  L ARAM  IE 


FORT  BRIDGER 


FRONTIER  FORTS 


THE   OVERLAND   ROUTE 

representatives  of  an  iron  age.  Before  them  ever 
was  the  Star  of  Hope,  and  in  their  heroic  hearts 
faith  never  faltered.  They  crossed  a  continent, 
threading  a  barren  wilderness,  to  win  for  civiliza- 
tion a  region  mighty  enough  for  an  empire.  They 
did  their  work,  and  they  did  it  well.  And  those 
others  who  died  upon  the  way,  who  sank  beneath 
privation  and  despair,  who  fell  beneath  the  Indian 
tomahawk  or  the  grim  clutch  of  disease  —  their 
lonely  graves,  unmarked,  unknown,  strew  the  route 
of  the  old  Trail  from  end  to  end.  They  were  the 
martyrs  of  progress.  As  soldiers  they  fell  in  the 
front  rank. 


CHAPTER  VI 
THE  OVERLAND  STAGE  LINES 

Monthly  Stages  to  Santa  Fe 

FOLLOWING  the  slow-moving  prairie  schooner 
there  soon  came  the  far  swifter  stage-coach, 
conveying  passengers,  express  matter,  and  mail.  As 
early  as  1849  the  first  experiment  was  made  in  this 
effort  to  achieve  a  more  rapid  passage  across  the 
Plains,  a  line  of  monthly  stages  being  placed  be- 
tween Independence  and  Santa  Fe.  "  The  Mis- 
souri Commonwealth,"  of  a  few  months  later,  has 
this  description: 

"We  briefly  alluded  some  days  since  to  the  Santa  Fe  line 
of  mail  stages  which  left  this  city  on  its  first  monthly  journey 
on  the  first  instant.  The  stages  are  got  up  in  elegant  style,  and 
are  each  arranged  to  convey  eight  passengers.  The  bodies  are 
beautifully  painted,  and  made  water-tight,  with  a  view  of  using 
them  as  boats  in  ferrying  streams.  The  team  consists  of  six 
mules  to  each  coach.  The  mail  is  guarded  by  eight  men,  armed 
as  follows:  Each  man  has  at  his  side,  fastened  in  the  stage, 
one  of  Colt's  revolving  rifles;  in  a  holster  below,  one  of  Colt's 
long  revolvers;  and  in  his  belt  a  small  Colt's  revolver,  besides  a 
hunting  knife;  so  that  these  eight  men  are  ready  in  case  of  at- 
tack to  discharge  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  shots  without  hav- 
ing to  reload.  This  is  equal  to  a  small  army,  armed  as  in  the 
ancient  times;  and  from  the  looks  of  this  escort,  ready  as  they 
are  either  for  offensive  or  defensive  warfare  with  the  savages, 
we  have  no  fears  for  the  safety  of  the  mails." 

These  monthly  stages  to  Santa  Fe  started  from 
each  end  of  the  route  at  the  same  time;  as  the  de- 
mand for  transportation  increased  it  grew  to  a 


THE   OVERLAND   STAGE   LINES 

weekly  service,  then  to  three  times  each  week,  and 
in  the  early  sixties,  daily  stages  were  estab- 
lished, and  continued  until  the  completion  of  trie 
railroad.  Those  were  indeed  times  of  romance  and 
adventure,  and  every  mile  of  the  way  had  its  story 
worth  the  telling.  In  the  days  of  its  greatness  each 
coach  was  capable  of  transporting  eleven  passen- 
gers, nine  closely  stowed  inside,  three  on  a  seat,  and 
two  on  the  outside  with  the  driver.  The  fare  to 
Santa  Fe  was  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  bag- 
gage allowance  being  limited  to  forty  pounds. 
Board  en  route  was,  of  course,  included,  but  that 
was  of  the  simplest,  being  usually  bacon,  hardtack, 
and  coffee,  with  beans  occasionally  as  a  luxury. 
Every  trip  was  certain  to  result  in  some  interesting 
incident;  sometimes,  and  not  infrequently,  an  In- 
dian raid,  or  perhaps  a  stampede  of  the  mules,  or  a 
serious  breakdown.  When  such  happenings  failed 
to  materialize  there  was  often  the  playfulness  of 
drunken  drivers  to  be  reckoned  with,  and  the  pos- 
sibility of  an  upset  while  travelling  at  full  speed. 

When  everything  went  well,  the  trip  required 
about  two  weeks  of  constant  travel.  The  first  night 
and  day  in  a  crowded  coach  were  most  fatiguing, 
but  after  that  the  intense  weariness  appeared  to  wear 
away,  and  the  journey  was  continued  in  compara- 
tive comfort.  Whatever  sleep  was  had  could  be 
enjoyed  only  while  sitting  bolt  upright,  and  hang- 
ing to  the  straps.  At  first  the  teams  were  changed 
every  twenty  miles;  later,  when  faster  time  was 
sought,  every  ten  miles.  Small  stations  were  erected 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

along  the  route,  and  the  men  on  duty  there  had 
many  a  brush  with  Indians;  in  such  cases  the  arriv- 
ing stages  frequently  found  only  ashes  and  dead 
bodies  waiting  to  greet  them.  The  conductor,  or 
messenger  as  he  was  called,  went  through  with  the 
coach  to  Santa  Fe,  but  the  drivers  were  changed 
eight  times  in  that  distance.  Occasionally  an  escort 
cf  soldiers,  under  a  non-commissioned  officer,  rid- 
ing in  a  six-mule  army  wagon,  would  accompany 
the  stage  through  a  specially  hostile  region,  but 
generally  the  travellers  were  compelled  to  rely  upon 
their  own  resources  for  safety. 

The  First  Transcontinental  Stage  Line 

Shortly  after  this  opening  of  a  stage  line  to 
Santa  Fe,  a  monthly  service  was  inaugurated  be- 
tween Independence  and  Salt  Lake,  a  distance  of 
twelve  hundred  miles.  It  was  not  successful  but 
continued  to  transport  mails  and  an  occasional  pas- 
senger, for  four  years.  In  1854  the  Government 
felt  the  necessity  of  a  direct  mail  line  to  the  Pacific 
Coast,  and  voted  the  sum  of  $80,000  per  annum  for 
that  purpose.  The  contractors  ran  monthly  stages 
from  Missouri,  via  Albuquerque,  to  Stockton,  Cali- 
fornia. This  effort  never  paid:  during  the  nine 
months  of  experiment,  the  receipts  were  only  $1,255. 
Yet,  because  it  was  south  of  the  greatest  danger 
from  snow,  this  was  the  route  selected  for  the  oper- 
ating of  the  first  great  transcontinental  stage  line, 
that  known  as  Butterfield's  "  Southern  Overland 
Mail."  It  ran  2,759  miles>  from  St.  Louis,  via  El 


THE   OVERLAND   STAGE   LINES 

Paso,  Yuma,  and  Los  Angeles,  to  San  Francisco, 
and  was  probably  the  longest  continuous  run  ever 
operated.  For  this  tremendous  distance,  over  plains, 
deserts,  and  mountains,  its  accomplished  schedule 
time  was  at  first  twenty- five  days;  later  it  was  re- 
duced to  twenty-three.  Its  record  run  was  twenty- 
one  days.  The  coaches  of  this  pioneer  Overland 
started  at  the  same  time,  September  15,  1858,  from 
St.  Louis  and  San  Francisco.  At  their  safe  arrival 
at  those  distant  terminals  on  schedule  time,  they  re- 
ceived a  mighty  ovation.  The  rate  of  fare  for  the 
full  distance  was  a  hundred  dollars  gold,  and  let- 
ters cost  ten  cents  per  half  ounce. 

The  establishment  of  such  a  line  was  a  business 
enterprise  of  much  magnitude  and  risk.  It  involved 
peril  with  every  mile  of  the  distance,  and  the  pos- 
sibility of  loss  with  each  turn  of  the  wheels.  The 
complete  equipment  consisted  of  more  than  one  hun- 
dred Concord  coaches,  1,000  horses,  500  mules,  and 
750  men,  of  whom  150  were  drivers.  The  monthly 
schedule  soon  became  semi-weekly,  and  finally  six 
times  a  week  the  laden  stages  rolled  out  on  their 
long  trips.  Lummis  writes : 

"The  deadly  deserts  through  which  nearly  half  its  route 
lay,  the  sand-storm,  the  mirage,  the  hell  of  thirst,  the  dangerous 
Indian  tribes,  and  its  vast  length  —  forty  per  cent  greater  than 
that  of  any  other  stage  line  in  our  national  story  —  made  it  a 
monumental  undertaking;  and  the  name  of  John  Butterfield  de- 
serves to  be  remembered  along  with  those  Americans  who  helped 
to  win  the  West." 

'  This  "  Southern  Overland"  was  operated  with 
scarcely  a  break  in  regularity  until  the  commence- 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

ment  of  the  Civil  War.  That  conflict  rendered  im- 
possible the  longer  carrying  of  the  mail  so  far  south, 
and  necessitated  the  Overland  being  transferred  to 
a  more  northern  and  shorter  route,  where  drivers 
and  passengers  must  brave  the  peril  of  the  mountain 
snow.  The  "  Central"  line  was  selected  for  the  new 
route ;  the  first  stages  to  travel  its  two  thousand  miles 
left  St.  Joseph  and  Placerville  simultaneously,  on 
July  i,  1861,  and  each  completed  the  journey  on 
the  eighteenth. 

Abe  Majors,  Stage  Line  Operator 

This  new  adventure  in  travel  brought  into  prom- 
inence other  leaders  in  Western  transportation.  Rus- 
sell, Majors,  and  Waddell,  and  Ben  Holladay  were 
the  most  famous,  and  among  them  all  Holladay  and 
Majors  are  worthy  of  special  mention.  Abe  Majors 
would  have  been  a  remarkable  character  anywhere; 
on  the  Plains  he  was  unique.  A  Kentucky  Christian 
who  never  drank,  never  swore,  and  who  compelled 
his  drivers  to  sign  an  iron-clad  contract  to  be 
equally  abstemious  under  penalty  of  being  "fired" 
without  pay,  he  was  for  years  one  of  the  truly  pic- 
turesque figures  of  the  frontier.  He  was,  besides,  a 
wonderful  operator,  and  organized  a  business  of 
vast  proportions.  His  Merchants'  Express  was, 
in  that  age,  the  largest  commercial  transportation 
enterprise  ever  organized  under  one  administration, 
and  his  "  bull  teams "  were  on  every  trail  between 
the  Missouri  and  the  Rockies.  When  he  was  a 
young  man  himself,  and  a  "  bull-whacker,"  he  made 

[196] 


THE  OVERLAND  STAGE  LINES 

the  "Broadhorn"  record  on  the  Santa  Fe  Trail, 
completing  the  round  trip  with  oxen  in  ninety-two 
days.  Later  in  life,  when  he  took  up  Government 
contracts,  he  ran  over  3,500  wagons  in  that  service 
alone,  employing  4,000  men,  1,000  mules,  and  more 
than  40,000  oxen.  In  addition  to  this  Majors  be- 
came also  one  of  the  two  stage-line  kings  of  the 
Plains.  As  Lummis  puts  it,  "  For  debt,  folly  of  his 
partners,  or  other  reasons  alien  to  his  choice,  in  his 
own  despite  he  became  responsible  head  of  more 
miles  and  harder  miles,  more  animals  and  less 
'gentled'  ones,  more  Concord  coaches  and  more 
'  kingwhips,'  than  any  man  before  or  since,  save  only 
Ben  Holladay."  Between  Leavenworth  and  Den- 
ver he  controlled  a  thousand  mules  and  fifty  coaches. 
The  first  of  these  to  reach  the  Colorado  town  ar- 
rived May  17,  1859,  making  the  665-mile  trip  in  six 
days.  Among  the  passengers  on  this  pioneer  "  Hoss- 
power  Pullman"  were  Horace Greeley,  Henry  Vil- 
lard,  and  Albert  D.  Richardson.  On  the  overland 
route  between  St.  Joe  and  Salt  Lake  a  stage  line 
had  been  operated,  after  a  fashion,  by  the  firm  of 
Hockaday  and  Liggett.  In  1858  their  semi-monthly 
trips  averaged  twenty- two  days.  When  Majors  got 
hold  he  cut  the  twelve-hundred-mile  run  to  ten 
days,  and  operated  a  daily  coach.  The  difficulty  and 
peril  of  such  achievements  is  made  manifest  when 
we  remember  that  from  Denver  to  Salt  Lake  there 
was  not  a  single  town,  hamlet,  or  house  for  six  hun- 
dred miles. 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

Ben  Holladay 

In  1859,  counting  the  Panama  Steamer,  there 
were  six  established  mail  routes  to  California.  But 
Ben  Holladay  was  King.  A  historian  of  this  era 
says: 

"No  other  one  man  anywhere  has  owned  and  managed  a 
transportation  system  at  once  so  vast  and  so  difficult.  He  had 
sixteen  first-class  passenger  steamers  plying  the  Pacific  from  San 
Francisco  to  Oregon,  Panama,  Japan,  and  China.  At  the  height 
of  his  overland  business  he  operated  nearly  5,000  miles  of  daily 
mail-stages,  with  about  500  coaches  and  express  wagons,  500 
freight  wagons,  5,000  horses  and  mules,  and  a  host  of  oxen." 

The  figures  connected  with  this  far-reaching  en- 
terprise are  almost  beyond  present  comprehension. 
On  the  main  line  between  St.  Joe  and  San  Francisco 
there  were  used  100  Concord  coaches,  drawn  by 
2,750  horses  and  mules.  The  sum  of  $55,000  was 
expended  for  harness  alone,  while  the  feed  bill  ap- 
proximated a  million  dollars  yearly.  It  has  been 
officially  stated  that  $2,425,000  was  expended  the 
first  twelve  months  in  equipment  and  operating  ex- 
penses. The  Government  paid  Holladay  at  this 
time  a  million  a  year  in  mail  contracts ;  but  the  cost 
of  provisions  for  animals  was  immense,  grain  going 
to  twenty-five  cents  a  pound,  and  hay  selling  as  high 
as  $125  a  ton.  The  greatness  of  the  demand  is  evi- 
denced by  the  fact  that  in  one  day  an  agent  in  St. 
Louis  contracted  for  seven  Missouri  River  steamers 
to  load  with  corn  for  the  army  of  mules  and  horses 
employed. 

[198] 


THE  OVERLAND   STAGE  LINES 

Wells,  Fargo  &  Co. 

Holladay's  reign  as  King  lasted  for  five  years, 
beginning  in  December,  1861.  It  was  brought  to 
a  close  by  the  disastrous  raids  of  the  Plains  Indians 
during  the  time  of  trouble  1864-66,  when  his  stage- 
line  was  crippled,  nearly  all  his  stations  for  four 
hundred  miles  being  burned,  his  stock  stolen  and 
his  employees  killed.  The  actual  loss  inflicted  was 
above  half  a  million.  This  disaster  forced  him  into 
selling  in  November,  1866,  to  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co. 
The  main  operations  of  this  latter  firm,  long  known 
throughout  the  West,  and  to  the  present  day,  as 
"Wells,  Fargo,"  occurred  later  than  the  limits  cov- 
ered by  this  work,  yet  was  of  such  importance  as 
to  justify  the  quoting  of  Lummis's  words  regarding 
its  history: 

"It  not  only  covers  more  ground  than  any  other  carrier; 
it  is  the  inventor  of  the  shotgun  messenger,  and  the  only  express 
company  by  which  wives  and  babies  were  ever  way-billed  two 
thousand  miles  through  a  country  of  hostile  Indians.  No  other 
company  has  transported  so  much  treasure;  and  its  reports  are 
as  indispensable  to  the  student  of  mining  statistics  as  those  of 
the  Director  of  the  Mint." 

Achievements    in   Passenger   Transportation 

But  to  resume  Ben  Holladay's  wonderful  rec- 
ord. Some  of  the  driving  done  on  his  line  probably 
surpassed  any  other  recorded  in  the  history  of 
staging,  and  the  most  rapid  trips  were  always  ac- 
complished while  he  rode  in  the  coach.  The  ordi- 
nary schedule  from  Salt  Lake  to  Atchison,  twelve 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

hundred  miles,  was  eleven  'days,  but  on  one  occa- 
sion it  was  covered  in  eight  days  and  six  hours. 
From  Placerville,  California,  to  Atchison^  which 
in  the  regular  run  required  seventeen  days,  the  dis- 
tance being  1,913  miles,  a  trip  was  made  by  Holla- 
day  in  twelve  days  and  two  hours.  This  achieve- 
ment aroused  the  enthusiasm  of  the  entire  country, 
and  was  a  big  advertisement  for  his  line,  although 
it  is  believed  to  have  cost  over  twenty  thousand 
dollars  in  wear  and  tear  of  animals  and  rolling 
stock. 

When  one  considers  the  lonely,  dangerous  coun- 
try through  which  this  long  road  ran,  the  isolated 
stations,  the  expense  of  equipment,  the  difficulty  of 
transporting  supplies,  the  rates  charged  for  over- 
land travel  were  comparatively  low.  The  old  But- 
terfield  fare  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  2,759  miles 
almost,  if  not  quite,  equals  present  railroad  rates; 
and  the  Holladay  tariff  cannot  be  considered  ex- 
cessive. Up  to  1863  the  fare  charged  from  the 
Missouri  River  to  Placerville,  including  meals,  was 
$225.  Toward  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  partly 
on  account  of  heavy  losses  from  Indian  raids,  the 
cost  began  to  soar,  and  the  620  miles  to  Denver 
necessitated  an  expenditure  of  $175.  Lummis  states 
that  it  once  reached  $350,  on  fifty-four  cents  a  mile, 
with  meals  extra.  The  tariff  for  express  over  this 
route  at  that  time  was  one  dollar  a  pound.  During 
this  reign  of  high  prices  $600  was  paid  for  coach 
passage  through  to  Placerville,  the  baggage  allow- 
ance being  limited  to  twenty-five  pounds. 

[200] 


THE  OVERLAND  STAGE  LINES 

The  era  of  the  overland  stage  from  the  Missouri 
to  the  Pacific  covered  about  eight  years,  beginning 
with  the  Fall  of  1858.  It  was  filled  with  wonder- 
ful achievements,  with  desperate  encounters,  with 
strange  adventures  in  the  wilderness.  In  difficulties 
overcome  and  dangers  conquered,  this  struggle 
against  hardships  and  savagery  is  without  parallel 
in  the  history  of  transportation.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  sometime,  and  that  soon,  some  delver  among 
the  records  may  give  to  the  world  the  detailed 
story  of  those  days  and  nights  upon  plains,  deserts, 
and  mountains.  It  is  an  Iliad  worthy  of  its  Homer. 
As  one  has  already  written: 

"It  took  Men  to  'run,'  and  Men  to  journey  in,  the  stages 
of  that  generation.  The  messengers  in  charge  of  express  and 
mail  on  the  main  line  of  the  Overland  had  a  steady  run  of  six 
days  and  nights  without  taking  off  their  clothes.  As  for  the 
drivers,  there  is  no  question  that  they  were,  as  a  class,  the  best 
whips  in  history.  Hank  Monk  (whom  Horace  Greeley  made 
famous),  Keno  Armstrong,  Jack  Gilmer,  Billy  Opdike,  Enoch 
Cummings,  and  others — those  were  the  mightiest  jehus  that  ever 
'  pushed  on  the  reins,'  or  '  sent  'em  '  down  the  Rockies  or  the 
Sierra  Nevada.  They  were  generic  heroes  of  the  song  not  yet 
forgotten  when  I  was  young,  'The  High  Salaried  Driver  of  the 
Denver  City  Line.'  So  far  as  I  am  aware,  the  record  single  run 
was  that  made  by  Keno  Armstrong,  who  drove  610  miles  in  no 
hours  without  sleep,  straight-away." 

In  considering  such  achievements  in  passenger 
transportation  it  must  be  remembered  that  these  re- 
sults were  accomplished  over  roads  seldom,  if  ever, 
touched  by  either  the  spade  or  the  plough.  The 
old  coaches  pounded  straight  ahead  over  unbroken 
prairie,  and  across  the  dead  level  of  the  Plain;  they 

[201] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

forded  rivers,  they  climbed  mountains,  they  pitched 
headlong  down  the  opposite  slope,  they  skirted  prec- 
ipices, and  swept  over  trackless  deserts  of  shifting 
sand,  more  by  the  grace  of  God  than  any  help  of 
man.  As  one  recalls  all  this,  and  reflects  upon  those 
leagues  of  desolation,  the  more  the  wonder  grows, 
the  deeper  the  respect  for  those  who  worked  the 
miracle. 

The  Concord  Coach 

Nor  can  we  now  dismiss  this  story  out  of  the 
past  without  paying  due  honor  to  the  vehicle  which 
made  such  journey  a  possibility — that  most  famous 
of  all  coaches,  the  Concord.  It  was  almost  univer- 
sally employed  throughout  the  era  of  the  stage- 
coach, and,  for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  de- 
signed, it  has  never  been  surpassed.  It  was  built  in 
Concord,  New  Hampshire,  by  the  Abbott-Downing 
Company,  first  established  in  1813.  They  were 
mechanics,  reliable  and  thorough,  who  built  these 
coaches  for  plain  and  mountain,  and  their  work  was 
ever  well  done.  The  distinguishing  characteristic 
of  the  Concord  coach  was  that,  instead  of  steel 
springs,  the  coach-body  was  swung  on  thorough 
braces  of  simple  device  enough,  yet  which  resulted 
in  the  easiest  riding  carriage  for  all  kinds  of  roads 
ever  invented.  This  thorough  brace  was  of  stout 
leather,  the  strap  ends  firmly  attached  to  C  springs 
front  and  rear.  The  ordinary  coach  used  upon  the 
Overland  would  carry  nine  passengers  inside,  and 
one  or  two  with  the  driver.  The  messenger  hung 
on  as  best  he  could.  Oftentimes  both  messenger  and 

[202] 


THE  OVERLAND   STAGE  LINES 

driver  would  be  asleep  while  the  six  mules  went 
spinning  along  eight  or  ten  miles  an  hour.  The 
former  usually  covered  a  distance  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles,  while  the  latter  had  a  shorter  route, 
going  constantly  back  and  forth  over  the  same 
stretch  until,  in  the  darkest  night,  he  could  unhesi- 
tatingly find  his  way. 

The  stage  management  was  rigid  in  discipline. 
A  special  agent  had  absolute  control  over  each  di- 
vision of  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  He 
purchased  horses,  mules,  harness,  and  food  for  men 
and  animals,  and  his  word  was  law.  In  fact  he 
engaged  and  discharged  men  at  pleasure,  and  ruled 
his  section  like  an  autocrat.  The  drivers  were  the 
most  highly  paid  employees,  receiving  from  $150  to 
$250  per  month  with  board.  Their  wages  were 
gauged  according  to  difficulty  of  route  and  length 
of  service.  All  classes  of  men  were  to  be  found  in 
the  drivers'  seats,  from  college  graduates  to  border 
desperadoes.  The  vast  amount  of  money  invested 
in  this  enterprise  is  shown  by  Holladay's  sale  to 
Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.  in  1866.  The  main  line  and 
branches  brought  one  million  five  hundred  thous- 
and dollars  in  cash,  and  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars  in  Express  Company  stock.  Yet  this  vast 
sum  merely  covered  animals,  rolling  stock,  stations, 
etc.,  and,  in  addition,  the  purchasers  were  to  pay 
full  value  for  hay,  grain,  and  provisions  on  hand. 
These  totalled  nearly  six  hundred  thousand  dollars 
more. 

[203] 


CHAPTER  VII 

ADVENTURES  AND  TRAGEDIES  ON  THE 
OVERLAND 

Sufferings  from  the  Elements 

THE  Santa  Fe  Trail  being  the  first  used  for  stag- 
ing purposes,  was  also  the  first  to  be  reddened 
with  blood,  and  to  witness  the  hardships  of  prairie 
travel.  From  the  earliest  attempts  accidents  were 
frequent,  and  suffering  from  exposure  to  the  ele- 
ments was  common.  The  terrible  summer  storms 
sweeping  the  level  Plains,  or  driving  desert  sand 
in  clouds,  would  delay  the  weary  travellers  for  days 
in  the  utmost  discomfort.  Occasionally  the  eight 
frisky  mules  would  prove  too  much  for  their  driver, 
and  there  would  be  a  runaway,  and  a  broken  coach, 
to  be  repaired  with  whatever  tools  might  be  at  hand. 
In  wet  weather  for  mile  after  mile  the  passengers 
might  be  compelled  to  plod  beside  the  wheels,  la- 
boriously prying  them  out  of  the  clinging  mud,  and 
burdening  the  air  with  profanity.  But  in  the  moun- 
tain district  to  be  traversed  before  reaching  Santa 
Fe,  the  most  serious  disasters  usually  occurred  dur- 
ing the  winter.  To  be  caught  there  by  a  raging 
snow-storm  was  certain  to  be  a  terrible  experience. 
All  that  could  be  done,  with  the  trail  blotted  com- 
pletely from  sight,  was  to  wait  the  cessation  of  the 
storm.  Passengers  and  employees  had  to  crowd  into 
the  coach  and  use  every  effort  to  keep  from  freez- 

[204] 


ADVENTURES  AND  TRAGEDIES 

ing,  and  at  the  end  often  found  themselves  minus 
mules  with  which  to  complete  the  journey.  Yet 
even  more  a  summer  hail-storm  was  to  be  dreaded, 
for  nowhere  else  do  such  ice-chunks  descend  from 
the  sky.  Invariably  such  a  storm  meant  a  stampede 
of  the  mules,  nor  would  a  man  dare  to  desert  his 
shelter  to  seek  them. 

A   Massacre  by  Apaches 

The  first  notable  tragedy  on  the  Santa  Fe  Trail 
in  connection  with  stage  coaching  occurred  almost 
with  the  first  effort  at  establishing  the  line.  It  was 
a  west-bound  Concord,  containing  a  full  comple- 
ment of  passengers,  including  a  Mr.  White,  his 
wife,  child,  and  colored  nurse.  The  journey  was 
not  an  unpleasant  one  across  the  wide  expanse  of 
Plains.  The  Raton  Range  had  been  safely  sur- 
mounted, and,  just  about  dawn  one  morning,  the 
heavy  coach  entered  the  canyon  of  the  Canadian, 
it  occupants  unsuspicious  of  any  danger.  Instantly 
they  were  fiercely  attacked  by  an  ambushed  party 
of  Apaches  under  White  Wolf.  With  scarcely  any 
opportunity  for  defence,  the  unfortunate  whites 
were  shot  down,  scalped,  and  their  mutilated  bodies 
left  upon  the  ground.  Mrs.  White,  her  child,  and 
nurse  were  borne  away  prisoners.  At  Taos  were 
several  troops  of  the  Second  Dragoons  under  Major 
Greer.  The  story  of  this  outrage  did  not  reach  them 
for  nearly  two  weeks,  but  upon  its  receipt  the  Major 
at  once  started  out  on  a  hard  winter  campaign  in 
hope  of  rescuing  the  captives.  The  soldiers  had 

[205] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

with  them  as  guides  several  famous  frontiersmen, 
Kit  Carson,  "  Uncle  Dick"  Wooton,  Joaquin  Le- 
roux,  and  Tom  Tobin.  The  heavy  snow  made  trail- 
ing almost  impossible,  yet  the  scouts  discovered 
"  signs,"  and,  amid  much  suffering,  followed  the 
Indian  trail  for  nearly  four  hundred  miles,  and 
finally  located  the  village.  Everything  was  made 
ready  for  a  charge,  when  Major  Greer  suddenly  de- 
cided to  have  a  parley  with  the  savages  before  com- 
mencing to  fight.  This  decision  not  only  greatly  en- 
raged the  eager  troopers,  but  gave  the  Indians 
ample  time  in  which  to  prepare  for  action.  They 
took  full  advantage  of  the  opportunity,  and  poured 
in  the  first  volley,  Greer  being  struck  in  the  breast, 
his  life  saved  by  a  suspender  buckle.  This  occur- 
rence took  from  him  all  desire  for  further  peace 
talk,  and  the  fight  was  on.  The  troopers  charged 
twice,  killing  and  wounding  more  than  a  hundred 
Indians,  but  the  chief  escaped,  and,  when  the  sol- 
diers finally  captured  the  village,  they  found  there 
the  body  of  Mrs.  White,  yet  warm,  with  three  ar- 
rows in  her  breast.  No  trace  of  either  the  child  or 
the  colored  nurse  was  ever  found. 

White  Wolf  was  killed  later  by  Lieutenant 
David  Bell,  Second  Dragoons,  in  a  most  dramatic 
manner,  and  almost  on  the  same  spot  where  the 
murders  had  been  perpetrated.  While  on  a  scout 
with  his  troop  from  Fort  Union,  New  Mexico,  Bell 
came  upon  White  Wolf  and  an  equal  number  of 
Apaches.  A  parley  ensued,  the  controversy  grow- 
ing so  heated  that  suddenly  the  two  leaders  ex- 

[206] 


ADVENTURES  AND  TRAGEDIES 

changed  shots,  the  chief  sinking  on  one  knee  to  aim, 
and  Bell  throwing  his  body  forward,  and  causing 
his  horse  to  rear.  Inman  describes  what  followed : 

"Both  lines  by  command  fired,  following  the  example  of 
their  superiors,  the  troopers,  however,  spurring  forward  over 
their  enemies.  The  warriors,  or  nearly  all  of  them,  threw  them- 
selves on  the  ground,  and  several  vertical  wounds  were  received 
by  horse  and  rider.  The  dragoons  turned  short  about,  and  again 
charged  through  and  over  their  enemies,  the  fire  being  continu- 
ous. As  they  turned  for  a  third  charge,  the  surviving  Indians 
were  seen  escaping  to  a  deep  ravine,  which,  although  only  one 
or  two  hundred  paces  off,  had  not  previously  been  noticed.  A 
number  of  the  savages  thus  escaped,  the  troopers  having  to  pull 
up  at  the  brink,  but  sending  a  volley  after  the  descending  fugi- 
tives. In  less  than  fifteen  minutes  twenty-one  of  the  forty-six 
actors  in  this  strange  combat  were  slain  or  disabled.  Bell  was 
not  hit,  but  four  or  five  of  his  men  were  killed  or  wounded.  He 
had  shot  White  Wolf  several  times." 

Some  Indian  Leaders 

In  those  early  days  of  stage-coaching  along  the 
Santa  Fe  Trail  the  two  most  noted  leaders  of  In- 
dian raids  were  Santana  (White  Bear),  a  chief  of 
the  Kiowa  nation,  and  Charles  Bent,  a  half-breed 
desperado.  In  later  years  Kicking  Bird,  also  a 
Kiowa,  became  the  terror  of  the  Plains.  The  latter 
was  finally  poisoned  by  a  Mexican  woman  in  1876. 
Santana  had  his  headquarters  in  what  is  now  known 
as  the  Cheyenne  Bottoms,  eight  miles  from  the 
Great  Bend  of  the  Arkansas,  and  about  the  same 
distance  from  old  Fort  Zarah.  He  was  as  cruel  and 
heartless  a  savage  as  ever  ambushed  a  stage-coach 
or  murdered  helpless  women.  For  fifteen  years  he 

[207] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

was  the  terror  of  the  Trail,  and  his  acts  of  atrocity 
were  incessant.  Charles  Bent  had  for  father  the 
famous  Colonel  Bent,  of  Bent's  Fort,  but  his  mother 
was  a  Cheyenne  squaw.  Well  educated  in  St.  Louis, 
he  no  sooner  returned  to  the  Plains  than  he  devel- 
oped into  a  blood-thirsty  desperado,  organizing  a 
body  of  young  warriors,  later  known  as  "  dog  sol- 
diers," and  beginning  a  series  of  depredations 
against  the  whites.  With  over  a  hundred  men  un- 
der him  he  robbed  ranches,  and  attacked  wagon 
trains,  coaches,  and  army  caravans.  The  history  of 
his  bloody  deeds  will  never  be  told,  for  dead  men 
tell  no  tales,  and  seldom  did  Bent  leave  any  alive 
after  a  raid.  From  Walnut  Creek  to  the  mountains 
no  traveller  was  safe  from  attack  by  the  "  dog 
soldiers " ;  and  oftentimes  a  caravan  started  forth 
having  the  disguised  Bent  as  guide,  for  his  plans  us- 
ually involved  treachery.  The  Government  offered 
five  thousand  dollars  for  his  capture,  dead  or  alive, 
but  death  finally  came  to  him  in  the  form  of  malar- 
ial fever. 

Robbers,  White  and  Red 

Indian  peril  on  the  northern  overland 
route,  while  never  wholly  absent,  grew  most 
serious  during  the  period  of  the  Civil  War, 
when  the  Plains  tribes  became  largely  hos- 
tile. Road  agents  also  became  very  much  in 
evidence,  and  the  robbery  of  stages  was  not 
uncommon.  In  July,  1865,  a  stage  carrying  seven 
passengers,  and  containing  a  considerable  amount 
of  gold  bullion,  was  the  object  of  such  an  attack. 

[208] 


ADVENTURES  AND   TRAGEDIES 

The  passengers  were  all  old  frontiersmen,  and,  an- 
ticipating a  possible  attempt  at  robbery,  were  pre- 
pared for  a  desperate  defence.  But  treachery 
worked  their  ruin.  Beside  the  driver,  named  Frank 
Williams,  sat  one  of  the  robbers,  thoroughly  dis- 
guised. At  a  lonely  spot  this  man  suddenly  shouted 
an  alarm  that  the  robbers  were  upon  them.  A  shot 
was  fired  from  beside  the  trail,  and  the  men  inside 
the  coach  instantly  discharged  their  guns  toward 
the  supposed  ambush.  Immediately  a  regular  vol- 
ley was  poured  in  from  the  opposite  side;  four  of 
the  passengers  fell  dead,  another  was  severely 
wounded.  Two  men  saved  their  lives ;  one  feigning 
death  in  the  bottom  of  the  coach,  the  other  escaping 
into  the  brush.  The  robbers  secured  over  $70,000, 
and  it  was  later  discovered  that  the  driver,  Wil- 
liams, was  an  accomplice,  and  received  his  share. 
He  was  tracked  to  Denver,  and  hanged  with  very 
little  ceremony. 

In  1862  the  Indian  raids  on  the  coaches  and  sta- 
tions between  Fort  Laramie  and  South  Pass  were 
almost  continuous.  In  April  of  that  year  occurred 
a  terrible  fight  between  the  mail-stage  and  savages, 
on  the  Sweetwater.  There  were  two  coaches  loaded 
with  mail,  and  nine  men,  the  leaders  being  Lem 
Flowers,  a  division  agent,  and  the  conductor  named 
Brown.  The  Indians  attacked  at  dawn,  as  was 
their  custom,  and  the  whites  were  compelled  to  run 
their  coaches  alongside  each  other,  pile  mail-sacks 
between  the  wheels,  and  throw  sand  over  them  for 
breastworks.  Here  they  fought  their  assailants  all 

[209] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

day,  six  of  the  men  being  wounded,  and  all  their 
stock  driven  off.  A  number  of  Indians  were  killed, 
and  at  night  they  withdrew,  leaving  the  defenders 
to  harness  themselves  to  the  running-gear,  and  thus 
draw  their  wounded  comrades  to  safety.  Another 
memorable  raid  was  made  all  along  the  two  hun- 
dred miles  between  Julesburg  and  Liberty  Farm,  at 
the  head  of  the  Little  Blue,  in  August,  1864.  Mail 
coaches,  freight  caravans,  ranches,  and  parties  put- 
ting up  hay  were  attacked  simultaneously.  More 
than  forty  whites  were  killed,  and  the  destruction 
of  property  was  very  large. 

Buffalo  Bill  as  a  Stage-Driver 

The  route  lying  along  the  North  Platte  became 
so  dangerous  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  secure 
drivers  even  at  the  highest  wages.  W.  F.  Cody 
(Buffalo  Bill)  was  at  this  time  a  driver  between 
Split  Rock  and  Three  Crossings,  one  of  the  most 
perilous  sections.  He  had  his  full  share  of  narrow 
escapes.  Once  he  was  set  upon  by  a  band  of  several 
hundred  Sioux.  A  Division  Agent  named  Flowers 
was  on  the  box  with  him,  and  inside  were  half  a 
dozen  well-armed  passengers.  As  soon  as  Cody  got 
glimpse  of  the  Indians,  he  handed  the  reins  to  Flow- 
ers, and  began  applying  the  whip.  There  followed 
a  hot  running  fight,  the  passengers  firing  from  the 
coach  windows,  and  the  Indian  arrows  flying 
thickly,  wounding  the  horses,  badly  injuring  Flow- 
ers, and  killing  two  of  the  passengers.  The  others 
escaped  after  a  hard  run.  In  the  Spring  of  1865 

[210] 


ADVENTURES  AND  TRAGEDIES 

the  Plains  tribes  again  became  very  troublesome, 
and  raided  the  stage  line  almost  from  end  to  end. 
Soldiers  were  used  to  guard  the  coaches,  yet  at- 
tacks were  frequent,  and  the  loss  in  property  and 
lives  was  large.  Passengers  took  their  lives  in  their 
hands,  and  only  the  most  daring  and  reckless  men 
volunteered  for  the  desperate  service  of  driver  or 
messenger. 

Military  Guards  for  Coaches 

This  custom  of  guarding  coaches  by  soldiers 
along  the  Overland  was  inaugurated  during  the 
Sioux  uprising  of  1863.  George  P.  Belden,  well 
known  in  those  days  as  "The  White  Chief,"  thus 
describes  the  disagreeable  duties : 

"Troops  were  stationed  in  small  squads  at  every  station, 
about  ten  miles  apart,  and  they  rode  from  station  to  station  on 
the  top  of  all  coaches,  holding  their  guns  ever  ready  for  action. 
It  was  not  pleasant,  this  sitting  perched  up  on  top  of  a  coach, 
riding  through  dark  ravines  and  tall  grass,  in  which  savages 
were  ever  lurking.  Generally  the  first  fire  from  the  Indians 
killed  one  or  two  horses,  and  tumbled  a  soldier  or  two  off  the 
top  of  the  coach.  This  setting  oneself  as  a  sort  of  target  was  a 
disagreeable  and  dangerous  duty,  but  the  soldiers  performed  it 
without  murmuring.  My  squad  had  to  ride  up  to  Cottonwood, 
and  down  to  the  station  below,  where  they  waited  for  the  next 
coach  going  the  other  way,  and  returned  by  it  to  their  post  at 
Oilman's.  All  the  other  stations  were  guarded  in  like  manner, 
so  it  happened  that  every  coach  carried  some  soldiers." 

Military  Posts  to  Protect  Settlements 

A  brief  review  of  the  operations  of  military 
scouting  parties  in  the  region  about  Julesburg, 
Colorado,  which  was  the  centre  of  hostilities  on  the 

[211] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

Plains,  and  occasionally  entirely  cut  off  from  com- 
munication, well  illustrates  the  desperate  nature  of 
their  duties.  During  1863-4-5  tne  Sioux,  Arapahoes, 
and  Cheyennes  were  all  upon  the  warpath,  and  not 
a  mile  of  prairie  between  the  upper  Missouri  and 
the  Arkansas  was  safe  for  a  white  traveller.  As 
early  as  1860  trouble  began,  after  the  beginning  of 
emigration  to  Colorado  and  the  discovery  of  gold 
in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Bent's  Fort  was  occupied 
by  troops,  and,  in  anticipation  of  coming  events, 
several  new  posts  were  established  throughout  the 
Indian  country,  and  occupied  by  small  garrisons. 
The  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  required  the 
withdrawal  of  many  of  the  regulars  from  the  Plains, 
and  the  Indians,  quick  to  perceive  their  opportunity, 
began  wholesale  depredations.  In  1862  the  Sioux 
made  savage  onslaught  far  east  into  Minnesota,  and 
the  general  uprising  among  the  tribes  which  fol- 
lowed extended  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  even 
to  the  banks  of  the  Columbia.  In  numbers  engaged 
it  attained  to  the  magnitude  of  war,  but  was  carried 
on  in  guerilla  fashion. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  Plains  country  was 
then  without  permanent  inhabitants,  scarcely  any- 
thing breaking  the  desolation  excepting  the  isolated 
stations  along  the  Overland  and  Santa  Fe  Trails, 
with  a  few  scattered  settlements  extending  into  the 
prairies  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  Though  they 
occasionally  attacked  small  bodies  of  troops,  the  sav- 
ages directed  their  main  efforts  against  the  trains 
of  freight  wagons,  and  the  comparatively  defence- 

[212] 


THE  UNITED  STATES  ARMY  IN  SERVICE  ON  THE  PLAINS 

IN  CONFLICT  WITH   WINTER  STORMS — THE  LAST  STAND  —  ON  THE   MARCH 


ADVENTURES  AND   TRAGEDIES 

less  stage  stations.  The  most  important  of  these, 
situated  in  the  very  heart  of  this  blood-stained  ter- 
ritory, was  Julesburg.  This  point  was  then  the 
junction  between  the  Overland  main  line  and  the 
newly  established  branch  leading  to  Denver.  It 
was  also  the  headquarters  of  the  telegraph  on  the 
Plains,  which  had  been  inaugurated  in  1861.  Jules- 
burg  must  have  contained  at  this  period  something 
over  a  hundred  civilian  inhabitants,  most  of  them 
employees  of  the  stage  company.  As  protection  for 
both  lines  the  Government  later  erected  Fort  Sedg- 
wick  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Platte.  Julesburg 
was  attacked  on  several  occasions,  and  in  February, 
1864,  was  burned  to  the  ground.  About  fifty- five 
miles  of  the  telegraph  line  was  entirely  destroyed, 
and  stage  stations  razed,  and  employees  killed,  for 
long  distances  east  and  west.  About  the  same  time, 
a  force  of  over  two  thousand  Indians  made  a  de- 
termined attack  upon  a  detachment  of  troops,  under 
Lieutenant-colonel  Collins  at  Rush  Creek,  eighty- 
five  miles  north  of  Julesburg.  There  followed  a 
twenty-four-hour  fight,  from  which  the  whites 
emerged  with  a  loss  of  but  three  men  killed,  and 
eight  wounded.  Two  months  later  Collins  was 
again  in  battle  at  Mud  Springs,  but  succeeded  in 
driving  off  his  assailants. 

As  soon  as  the  Spring  of  1865  began  to  freshen 
the  grass,  the  Indian  tribes  were  again  upon  the 
warpath.  In  four  weeks  they  had  killed  and  cap- 
tured forty-five  whites  betwen  Sage  Creek  and  Vir- 
ginia Dale,  but  a  combination  of  military  forces 

[213] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

compelled  the  allied  tribes  to  make  professions  of 
peace,  and  for  a  few  months  relieved  the  Trail  of  its 
horror.  The  full  story  of  these  years  of  soldierly 
endeavor  and  Indian  treachery  must  be  told  in  those 
chapters  devoted  to  the  work  of  the  army,  but  it  is 
easy  to  conceive  the  danger  which  night  and  day 
pursued  those  men  who  were  then  employed  upon 
the  Overland.  Never  for  a  moment  could  they  feel 
secure;  every  trip  promised  to  be  their  last,  and 
many  a  time  the  coach  dashed  up  to  a  station  only 
to  find  it  in  ruins  and  surrounded  by  dead.  The 
tales  of  suffering,  of  desperate  fighting,  of  marvel- 
lous endurance,  cling  yet  to  every  mile  from  the 
Little  Blue  to  Laramie.  The  dead  of  those  awful 
years  lie  numberless  and  nameless  in  their  unknown, 
scattered  graves. 


[214] 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  PONY  EXPRESS 

Need  of  Better  Mail   Service  for  California 

IF  ANY  one  single  achievement  of  the  Plains 
should  be  chosen  with  which  to  stir  the  heart  to 
admiration  of  adventure  and  picturesque  environ- 
ment, it  would  certainly  be  the  work  done  by  those 
riders,  who,  through  night  and  day,  amid  solitude 
and  constant  peril,  swept  at  full  speed,  with  their 
precious  messages,  from  the  Missouri  to  the  Coast. 
It  was  a  service  absolutely  unique  in  the  history  of 
men,  and  holds  the  world's  record  for  organized  and 
"scheduled"  riding.  Never  before  or  since  has 
mail  been  carried  so  fast  and  so  far  by  horse  power, 
never  through  such  continuous  danger,  through 
such  leagues  of  utter  desolation,  and  never  were 
mounts  so  steadily  spurred  to  highest  speed  in  any 
regular  service. 

The  gold  discovery  of  1848  in  California  led  to 
a  wonderful  exodus  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  In  vast 
streams  the  huge  trains  of  American  gold-seekers 
swept  across  the  Plains  and  the  mountains,  by  the 
Overland,  the  Oregon,  and  the  Santa  Fe  Trails.  As 
many  more  found  passage  to  the  far  West  by  way 
of  Panama  and  Nicaragua,  or  by  means  of  the 
long  voyage  around  stormy  Cape  Horn.  Within 
ten  years  the  population  of  California  had  so  greatly 
increased  that  the  desire  for  more  rapid  communi- 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

cation  with  the  East  became  imperative.  The  in- 
sistent demand  of  these  isolated  California  miners 
was  taken  to  Washington  by  their  representative, 
Senator  Gwinn,  and  in  the  Winter  of  1859  he  suc- 
ceeded in  inducing  the  firm  of  Russell,  Majors  & 
Waddell  to  undertake  the  gigantic  enterprise  of 
the  Pony  Express.  This  firm  already  had  a  daily 
stage-coach  in  operation  between  the  Missouri 
River  and  Salt  Lake,  with  stations  located  every  ten 
or  twelve  miles  along  the  route.  These  could  be 
easily  utilized  for  this  new  service,  but  beyond  Salt 
Lake  other  similar  stations  had  to  be  established, 
and  the  best  possible  route  selected  for  rapid  travel. 
However,  in  less  than  two  months  after  Russell  gave 
his  promise  to  Gwinn,  everything  was  in  readiness, 
and  the  gallant  riders  were  off  on  their  long  race 
half  across  a  continent. 

The  Men  and  the  Ponies  Required  for  the  Work 

We  may  scarcely  comprehend  the  magnitude  of 
the  preparations  necessary  for  such  an  enterprise. 
To  carry  this  fast  mail  over  the  route  selected  be- 
tween St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  San  Francisco,  a 
distance  of  nineteen  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  over 
barren  plains  and  through  dangerous  mountains, 
there  were  required  five  hundred  horses,  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety  stations,  two  hundred  men  to  take 
charge  of  them,  and  eighty  carefully  selected  riders, 
who  must  each  day  make  an  average  ride  at  full 
speed  of  thirty-three  and  one-third  miles.  The  sta- 
tions were  sometimes  from  sixty-five  to  even  a  hun- 

[216] 


THE  PONY  EXPRESS 

dred  miles  apart,  according  to  the  location  of  water.. 
The  fastest  time  ever  made  on  the  Butterfield 
Route  between  New  York  and  San  Francisco  was 
twenty-one  days;  the  Pony  Express  cut  it  to  less 
than  eight.  Its  scheduled  time  from  the  Missouri 
River  was  ten  days;  its  reckless  riders  never  re- 
quired more,  while  on  one  occasion  they  lowered 
this  remarkable  record  to  seven  days  and  seventeen 
hours,  and  more  than  once  to  a  little  over  eight 
days. 

The  men  employed  were  chosen  with  great 
care;  they  were  men  noted  for  bravery,  coolness, 
and  lithe,  wiry  physiques.  In  Inman's  appreciative 
words : 

"  It  was  no  easy  duty ;  horse  and  human  flesh  were  strained 
to  the  limits  of  physical  tension.  Day  or  night,  in  sunshine 
or  in  storm,  under  the  darkest  skies,  in  the  pale  moonlight,  and 
with  only  the  stars  at  times  to  guide  him,  the  brave  rider  must 
speed  on.  Rain,  hail,  snow,  or  sleet,  there  was  no  delay;  his 
precious  burden  of  letters  demanded  his  best  efforts  under  the 
stern  necessities  of  the  hazardous  service;  it  brooked  no  deten- 
tion; on  he  must  ride.  Sometimes  his  pathway  led  across  level 
prairies,  straight  as  the  flight  of  an  arrow.  It  was  oftener  a 
zig-zag  trail  hugging  the  brink  of  awful  precipices,  and  dark, 
narrow  canons  infested  with  watchful  savages  eager  for  the 
scalp  of  the  daring  man  who  had  the  temerity  to  enter  their 
mountain  fastness." 

These  riders  had  to  be  always  ready  at  their 
stations  —  not  only  for  their  regular  trip,  but  for 
any  emergency  which  might  arise,  as  they  were  fre- 
quently called  upon  for  double  duty;  at  any  mo- 
ment they  must  be  prepared  to  spring  into  saddle 
and  be  off  like  a  shot.  The  ponies  employed  were 

[217] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

magnificent  specimens,  selected  for  speed  and  en- 
durance. Most  carefully  fed  and  housed,  on  the 
road  they  were  pushed  to  their  utmost;  spurred  ten 
miles  at  the  very  limit  of  pace,  the  animal  came 
dashing  in  to  the  next  station  flecked  with  foam, 
nostrils  dilated,  and  every  hair  wet  with  perspira- 
tion. Nearly  two  thousand  miles  must  be  covered 
in  nine  days  or  less  —  neither  pony  nor  man  could 
idle.  The  rider  was  allowed  but  two  minutes  at  a 
station  in  which  to  exchange  mounts,  yet  it  scarcely 
required  more  than  two  seconds.  Almost  before  he 
touched  the  ground  the  man  was  off  again,  a  dim 
speck  down  the  trail.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
a  day  was  the  distance  travelled,  and  the  rider  could 
carry  no  surplus  weight.  His  sole  arms  were  a  re- 
volver and  a  knife;  his  case  of  precious  letters  made 
into  a  bundle  no  larger  than  an  ordinary  writing 
tablet.  The  mail-bags  were  two  pouches  of  leather, 
impervious  to  rain,  sealed,  and  strapped  securely  to 
the  saddle  both  before  and  behind.  They  never 
contained  over  twenty  pounds  in  weight,  and  in- 
side, for  better  protection  from  possible  exposure, 
the  letters  and  despatches  were  wrapped  in  oil  silk, 
and  separately  sealed.  The  pouches  were  not 
opened  between  River  and  Coast. 

These  riders  were  paid  from  one  hundred  dol- 
lars to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  a 
month,  and  "  found."  The  postage  charged  during 
the  earlier  months  of  the  service  was  five  dollars 
per  half-ounce,  but  was  later  reduced  to  one  dollar, 
at  which  sum  it  remained  until  the  completion  of 

[218] 


THE   PONY   EXPRESS 

the  Overland  telegraph  in  October,  1861.  Letters 
thus  carried  were  written  on  the  thinnest  tissue  pa- 
per; papers  destined  for  the  Coast  were  printed  on 
the  same  thin  paper,  and  had  to  be  sent  in  letter 
envelopes  at  letter  postage.  A  messenger  has  re- 
corded that  he  remembered  handling  one  letter 
which  had  on  it  twenty- five  Pony  Express  stamps 
of  one  dollar  each,  and  twenty-five  United  States 
ten-cent  stamps.  It  is  safe  to  say  no  mail  was  thus 
sent  unless  considered  of  the  greatest  value.  And 
the  Pony  Express  had  a  proud  record  for  safety, 
as  well  as  efficiency.  In  all  its  career  it  lost  but  one 
mail.  Another  came  very  near  doubling  the  list, 
as  the  rider  was  waylaid  by  Indians  and  scalped. 
But  the  pony  broke  away,  and  came  clattering  into 
the  next  station,  severely  wounded,  with  the  saddle- 
bags intact,  leaving  his  rider  dead  in  the  desert. 
All  the  riding  was  not  the  same,  as  the  distance 
to  be  covered,  and  the  length  between  stations,  was 
largely  determined  by  the  character  of  the  country. 
Along  some  parts  of  the  route  the  trail  had  to  be 
covered  at  the  astounding  pace  of  twenty-five  miles 
an  hour. 

The  First  Run  of  the  Pony  Express 

The  first  day  of  the  start  was  the  third  of  April, 
1860,  the  time  noon.  At  exactly  the  same  hour  the 
riders,  the  one  facing  east,  the  other  west,  left  Sac- 
ramento and  St.  Joseph.  The  first  starter  from  Cal- 
ifornia was  Harry  Roff,  on  a  half-breed  bronco. 
He  covered  the  first  twenty  miles,  with  one  change, 
in  fifty-nine  minutes.  He  rode  on  at  top  speed 

[219] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

fifty-five  miles  farther  to  Placerville  at  the  foot  of 
the  Sierra  Nevadas.  Here  a  rider  known  as  Bos- 
ton grasped  the  mail-bag,  crossed  the  eastern  sum- 
mit of  the  Sierras,  and  ended  his  run  at  Friday's 
Station.  Sam  Hamilton  came  next,  spurring  his 
pony  through  Genoa,  Carson  City,  Dayton,  and 
Reed's  Station  to  Fort  Churchill,  a  seventy-five 
mile  run.  The  mail  by  now  was  one  hundred  and 
eighty-five  miles  out,  including  the  crossing  of  the 
Sierra  Nevadas  through  thirty  feet  of  snow;  the 
time  consumed  fifteen  hours  and  twenty  minutes. 
From  Churchill  Bob  Haslam  ("Pony  Bob")  fol- 
lowed the  trail  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles, 
through  a  hostile  Indian  country,  to  Smith's  Creek, 
where  Jay  G.  Kelly  swung  the  precious  bag  to  his 
saddle,  and  spurred  away  to  Ruby  Valley,  Utah,  a 
heart-breaking  ride  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
miles  of  desert.  Richardson  came  next,  one  hun- 
dred and  five  miles  to  Deep  Creek.  The  last  part 
of  the  western  division,  the  fifty  miles  between 
Camp  Floyd  and  Salt  Lake  City,  was  covered  by 
George  Thacher.  From  St.  Joseph  Johnny  Frey 
started  the  run  westward,  his  pony  bursting  away 
from  the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  enthusiastic  specta- 
tors. That  first  run  was  made  in  less  than  ten  days. 

Experiences  of  Buffalo  Bill  as  an  Express  Rider 

The  adventures  of  these  Pony  Express  riders, 
the  stories  of  their  hardihood  and  marvellous  horse- 
manship, are  numberless.  Perhaps  the  best-known 
name  among  them  is  that  of  William  F.  Cody 

[220] 


Copyright.    By  courtesy  S.  S.  McClure  Co. 
A  MULE  TRAIN  AT  THE  FORD 


Copyright.    By  courtesy  S.  S.  McClure  Co. 
THE  SOUTHERN  OVERLAND  MAIL  STAGE 

SCENES  INCIDENT  TO  TRAVEL  ACROSS  THE  PLAINS 


THE  PONY  EXPRESS 

("Buffalo  Bill"),  who  first  began  riding  in  the  serv- 
ice when  only  a  boy  of  fourteen,  yet  "  made  good" 
in  a  work,  the  ceaseless  hardship  of  which  was  cal- 
culated to  try  the  nerve  and  endurance  of  the  most 
daring  men.  Afraid  that  Cody  would  break  down 
under  the  stram,  "  Old  Jules,"  then  owner  of  the 
Julesburg  Ranch,  and  Division  Agent  for  the  Pony 
Express  line,  started  the  boy  with  an  easy  run  of 
forty-five  miles,  with  three  changes  of  horses.  He 
rode  there  two  months,  and  then  applied  for  an- 
other position  under-  Slade,  afterwards  a  notorious 
desperado,  who  had  the  division  west  of  Laramie. 
He  got  it,  being  assigned  to  ride  from  Red  Buttes 
on  the  North  Platte  to  the  Three  Crossings  of  the 
Sweetwater,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
miles.  Again  the  boy  "made  good";  more  than 
that  —  on  one  occasion  he  broke  the  record  for  the 
longest  Pony  Express  ride.  One  day  galloping  into 
Three  Crossings  he  found  the  rider  who  was  to  go 
on  had  been  killed  the  night  before  in  a  drunken 
row.  The  distance  to  the  next  station,  Rocky  Ridge, 
was  eighty-five  miles  over  a  bad  and  dangerous 
trail.  Without  a  moment's  delay  Cody  went  for- 
ward, and  he  made  the  384  miles  of  his  round  trip, 
without  stops,  except  to  change  horses  and  swallow 
one  hasty  meal  —  and  the  mail  went  through  on 
time. 

A  week  later  this  same  youthful  messenger  was 
chased  by  Sioux  Indians  near  Horse  Creek,  but 
succeeded  in  outracing  them  to  the  station  at  Sweet- 
water.  Here  he  found  the  stock  all  driven  off  and 

[221] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

the  station-keeper  killed,  and  was  compelled  to  con- 
tinue his  ride  with  the  same  tired  pony.  The  In- 
dian raids  became  so  continuous  that  the  operation 
of  the  Pony  Express  was  discontinued  for  six  weeks. 
In  Inman's  "  Salt  Lake  Trail"  are  a  number  of  an- 
ecdotes of  Cody's  experiences  at  this  time,  well  illus- 
trating the  danger  of  the  Pony  Express  riders,  and 
the  constant  necessity  for  coolness  and  nerve.  And 
just  such  men  rode  the  trail,  day  and  night,  from 
River  to  Coast. 

Other  Express   Riders 

"Pony  Bob"  (Robert  H.  Haslam)  had  a  most 
remarkable  record,  and  probably  rode  Express 
longer  than  any  other  messenger.  He  was  in  the 
first  relay,  and  remained  in  the  service  to  the  end. 
His  regular  run  was  from  Buckland's  to  Friday's 
Station,  crossing  the  Sierra  Nevada,  one  of  the 
hardest  rides  on  the  entire  route.  On  one  occasion 
he  covered  380  miles  without  pause,  through  a 
region  swarming  with  Indians  on  the  warpath, 
who  had  already  killed  the  next  rider.  On  this  trip 
he  passed  the  smoking  ruins  of  three  stations,  and 
the  dead  bodies  of  their  keepers,  yet  he  brought  the 
mail  barely  three  hours  behind  schedule  time.  After 
the  telegraph  had  ended  Pony  Express  riding,  Has- 
lam became  a  Wells,  Fargo  messenger,  making  a 
hundred-mile  round  trip  every  twenty-four  hours. 
For  six  months  he  ran  between  Reno  and  Virginia 
City  every  day,  doing  twenty-three  miles  in  one 
hour2  and  using  fifteen  horses.  On  one  of  his  rides 

[222] 


THE   PONY   EXPRESS 

he  passed  the  remains  of  ninety  Chinamen  killed 
by  Indians.  Their  bodies  were  scattered  over  ten 
miles.  When  he  finally  left  the  service  the  man  who 
took  his  place,  Macaulus,  was  killed  by  Indians  on 
his  first  trip. 

Charles  Cliff  was  a  rider  well  known  on  the 
Plains  division,  having  a  run  from  St.  Joseph  to 
Seneca.  He  was  once  attacked  by  Indians,  but 
escaped,  receiving  three  balls  in  his  body,  and 
twenty-seven  in  his  clothing.  James  Moore  has 
credit  for  a  remarkable  ride.  At  Midway  Station, 
western  Nebraska,  he  received  an  important  Govern- 
ment despatch  to  carry  west.  He  spurred  his  ponies 
at  top  speed  to  Julesburg,  one  hundred  and  forty 
miles  away.  Here  he  found  another  important  de- 
spatch for  Washington,  and  that  the  rider  who 
should  carry  it  had  been  killed  by  Indians.  With- 
out eating,  and  with  a  loss  of  only  seven  minutes, 
Moore  immediately  started  back  for  Midway,  and 
he  made  the  round  trip  (280  miles)  in  fourteen 
hours  and  forty-six  minutes. 

High   Average   Speed   of  the   Pony   Express 

As  already  stated,  the  schedule  time  between  the 
Missouri  and  Sacramento  was  established  at  ten 
days.  Never  once  did  the  Pony  Express  fail  to 
make  it,  and  on  many  occasions  the  daring  riders 
came  in  far  ahead.  Buchanan'*  last  message  was 
whisked  across  the  two  thousand  miles  in  eight  days 
and  a  few  hours;  the  news  of  Lincoln's  election 
covered  the  665  miles  to  Denver  in  two  days  and 

[223] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

twenty-one  hours.  But  the  record  for  such  long- 
distance riding  was  completely  shattered  when  Lin- 
coln's inaugural  was  borne  from  rider  to  rider  to  the 
Coast  in  the  marvellous  space  of  but  seven  days  and 
seventeen  hours.  It  was  a  Pony  Express  rider  who 
made  the  most  wonderful  straight-away  ride  ever 
made  by  man,  but  it  was  not  performed  in  the 
course  of  duty.  The  rider  was  a  Canadian,  Francis 
Xavier  Aubrey,  and  he  rode  on  a  bet  that  he  could 
cover  the  distance  between  Santa  Fe  and  Indepen- 
dence (800  miles)  in  eight  days.  One  thousand  dol- 
lars was  involved.  In  the  whole  distance  he  did  not 
stop  to  rest,  changing  horses  only  every  hundred 
miles,  and  he  made  it  in  five  days  and  thirteen 
hours.  Aubrey  has  been  described  as  of  stocky 
build,  light-hearted,  genial,  adventurous,  and  abso- 
lutely fearless.  He  was  later  killed  in  Santa  Fe. 


[224] 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS— THE  FIRST 
ENCOUNTERS 

Guerilla  Warfare  on  the  Plains 

ARMY  operations  on  the  Great  Plains,  both  be- 
fore and  during  the  Civil  War,  whether  con- 
ducted by  regulars  or  volunteers,  were  of  a  nature 
requiring  but  brief  mention.  While  the  various 
Indian  tribes  became  more  and  more  hostile  in  their 
relations  with  the  whites,  and  were  guilty  of  many 
atrocities,  there  was  no  concerted  action  in  retalia- 
tion on  the  part  of  those  in  authority  at  Washing- 
ton. Numerous  petty  fights  have  been  recorded, 
but  there  was  no  well  organized  campaign,  no  bat- 
tle of  supreme  importance,  and  no  particular  result 
achieved.  For  years  guerilla  warfare  swept  the 
border  from  end  to  end,  doing  an  immense  amount 
of  damage  to  property,  and  costing  an  unknown 
number  of  lives.  Treaties  were  repeatedly  made 
and  broken,  settlements  were  raided  and  burned, 
wagon  trains  were  attacked,  the  teamsters  left  dead 
on  the  trail,  the  mules  captured,  and  the  route  of 
the  Overland  made  into  a  dreary  waste.  The  rea- 
son for  all  these  things  it  is  hard  to  discover,  and, 
at  this  late  day,  equally  futile  the  endeavor  to  fix 
the  blame.  In  some  cases  it  was  undoubtedly  the 
fault  of  the  savages ;  in  many  others  the  whites  were 
the  aggressors;  while  in  not  a  few  the  awful  pun- 

[225] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

ishment  inflicted,  whether  by  Indian  or  white,  fell 
upon  the  innocent.  In  the  years  between  1840  and 
1860  no  warlike  alliance  between  the  various  Plains 
tribes  appears  to  have  existed.  There  was  a 
vindictive  feeling  among  all  the  Indians  because  of 
the  steady  white  invasion  of  their  country,  but  it 
had  not  yet  crystallized  into  open  rebellion  under 
any  competent  leaders.  The  Comanches  in  the 
Southwest  were  always  in  a  state  of  hostility,  yet 
their  war-parties  were  small,  and  they  seldom  ap- 
peared in  any  considerable  force  outside  of  New 
Mexico  and  western  Texas,  their  usual  method 
being  that  of  surprise  and  swift  attack.  To  the 
north  the  Sioux  were  never  entirely  safe,  and  their 
young  men  were  restless  and  great  wanderers.  But 
in  the  middle  Plains  the  major  portion  of  the  nu- 
merous outrages  committed  were  doubtless  done  by 
semi-outlaw  bands,  under  control  of  sub-chiefs  eager 
for  reputation,  or  half-breeds,  like  Brent,  with  no 
other  purpose  than  plunder  and  a  lust  for  crime. 

Disagreeable  Nature  of  the  Soldiers'  Work 

This  very  fact  rendered  the  services  of  the  army 
on  that  wide  frontier  more  disagreeable,  hazardous, 
and  difficult.  If  successful,  they  were  devoid  of 
honor;  if  otherwise,  all  the  soldier  might  hope  for 
was  a  forgotten  grave.  Isolated  in  rude  forts,  dur- 
ing the  summer  in  temporary  camps,  a  company  of 
infantry  here,  a  troop  of  horse  yonder,  with  the 
nearest  station  hundreds  of  miles  distant,  and  all 
around  them  dissatisfied  and  threatening  savages 

[226] 


THE   ARMY   ON   THE   PLAINS 

outnumbering  them  fifty  to  one,  it  was  a  service 
far  from  attractive  to  either  officers  or  men.  In  de- 
tached parties  they  scouted  the  Plains  from  end  to 
end;  they  lived  on  half-rations,  or  no  rations  at  all; 
they  marched  and  counter-marched;  they  burned 
and  thirsted  under  the  tropical  summer  sun  of  the 
Staked  Plains,  and  faced  the  stinging  blasts  of  Da- 
kota blizzards;  they  held  peace  councils  with  the 
tribes,  halting  many  a  projected  raid  by  the  sud- 
denness of  their  appearance  where  least  expected; 
and,  when  all  other  means  were  exhausted,  they 
fought  battles  never  dignified  by  names,  or  noticed 
in  history,  and  fought  them  gallantly  and  well. 

Numerous   Indian  Raids 

Little  of  this  is  to  be  found  on  record;  it  was 
the  mere  routine  of  service,  totally  obscured  by  the 
far  greater  events  of  the  Civil  War.  Only  here  and 
there  do  certain  happenings  upon  the  broad  Plains, 
and  the  bordering  mountains,  throw  light  upon  this 
heroic  work  of  the  army.  Almost  immediately  after 
the  close  of  the  Mexican  War  two  or  three  tribes 
of  the  Plains  entered  into  loose  alliance  to  prey  on 
the  growing  traffic  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail.  So  thor- 
oughly was  this  agreement  carried  out  that  the 
United  States  troops  in  New  Mexico  were  for  a 
time  completely  cut  off  from  all  supplies  from  the 
East.  There  was  considerable  fighting  in  eastern 
and  northern  New  Mexico,  before  communication 
could  be  resumed.  In  1854  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Pueblo,  on  the  Arkansas,  some  twenty  in  num- 

[227] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

her,  were  massacred  by  Ute  Indians  in  a  drunken 
revel.  The  following  year  troops  from  Fort  Mas- 
sachusetts had  a  hard  campaign  in  southern  Colo- 
rado, punishing  the  Utes  for  numerous  raids  in 
New  Mexico.  The  same  year  fifteen  hundred 
lodges  of  Kiowas,  Comanches,  Osages,  Arapahoes, 
and  Cheyennes  marched  eastward  across  the  Plains, 
determined  to  wipe  out  those  more  peaceful  Indian 
tribes  bordering  the  Missouri.  They  met  their 
match,  however,  and  were  driven  back  after  a  three 
hours'  battle  on  the  banks  of  the  Kansas  River.  In 
the  Comanche  country  it  was  always  war,  and  this 
tribe  quarrelled  openly  with  all  others  who  entered 
into  peace  treaties  with  the  whites. 

A  War  with  the  Sioux 

Farther  north,  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  em- 
igration along  the  Oregon  Trail,  a  small  military 
force,  composed  of  a  single  company  reduced  to 
twenty-five  effective  men,  was  stationed  at  Fort  Lar- 
amie.  About  them  were  Sioux,  Arapahoes,  and 
Cheyennes,  all  far  from  friendly,  numbering  5,500 
souls,  of  whom  at  least  half  were  warriors.  Thor- 
oughly despising  so  small  an  armed  force  of  whites, 
these  Indians,  visiting  the  fort,  became  insolent, 
and  had  to  be  forcibly  expelled  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  post.  This  resulted  in  an  encounter,  in  which 
shots  were  exchanged  and  four  of  the  savages  killed. 
The  following  spring  Lieutenant  Grattan,  a  young 
officer  lately  from  West  Point,  accompanied  by 
twenty-eight  men,  was  sent  to  the  camp  of  a  band  of 

[228] 


SCENES    CHARACTERISTIC    OF    INDIAN    ATTACK    AND    THE    DE- 
FENCE OF  THE  SETTLERS 

THE    LAST    STAND  —  EMIGRANTS    REPELLING    AN    ATTACK  —  DEFENDING    THE 
WAGON  TRAIN 


THE  ARMY   ON   THE   PLAINS 

Sioux  with  orders  to  make  an  arrest.  Meeting  with 
some  resistance,  the  squad  fired  a  volley,  and  imme- 
diately the  Indians  were  upon  them.  Only  one  sol- 
dier escaped,  in  dying  condition,  and  regained  the 
fort. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  long  and  costly  war 
with  the  Sioux  nation.  Measures  were  at  once  taken 
by  the  War  Department  to  punish  fitly  the  murder- 
ers of  Grattan  and  his  men,  but  owing  to  the  late- 
ness of  the  season  little  was  accomplished  that  year 
except  the  strengthening  of  the  garrison  at  Laramie 
by  three  companies  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  under 
Major  Hoffman,  who  assumed  command.  In  the 
Spring  of  1856  other  troops  arrived,  but,  there  be- 
ing no  cavalry,  little  could  be  accomplished,  other 
than  defensive  guard.  The  Sioux  captured  all  the 
mules  belonging  to  the  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ment, and  escaped  with  them,  meanwhile  carrying 
out  their  threats,  and  constantly  raiding  the  stage 
line,  killing  drivers  and  burning  stations.  General 
Harney,  with  a  force  of  1,500  soldiers  marched  up 
the  valley  of  the  Platte.  His  scouting  parties  had 
several  small  skirmishes  on  the  way,  but  no  blow  of 
any  severity  was  struck  until  September,  when  the 
entire  force  came  upon  a  village  of  Brule  Sioux, 
under  Little  Thunder,  at  Ash  Hollow,  a  hundred 
miles  southeast  of  Laramie.  Here  there  was  a  few 
moments  of  rather  hot  fighting,  in  which  many 
women  and  children,  and  a  few  warriors  were 
killed.  The  action  resulted  in  a  temporary  truce. 

[229] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

This  same  year  Fort  Randall  was  established  in  the 
Yankton  country. 

Sumner's  Expedition  against  the  Cheyennes 

While  this  rather  bloodless  campaign  was  being 
conducted  in  the  north,  the  Cheyennes  were  making 
things  interesting  along  the  middle  Plains,  and 
keeping  busy  the  small  garrisons  of  the  only  two 
posts  between  the  Missouri  and  the  Rockies.  The 
trouble  apparently  first  arose  over  the  shooting  of 
certain  Indian  horse-thieves  by  an  army  patrol  sta- 
tioned at  the  Upper  Platte  Bridge.  The  result  was 
an  onslaught  upon  all  the  travelled  routes  across 
the  Plains,  and  the  reduction  of  Fort  Laramie  to  a 
condition  only  less  rigorous  than  an  actual  siege. 
In  the  Summer  of  1857  an  expedition,  formed  of 
troops  from  Leavenworth  and  Laramie,  under  Colo- 
nel Sumner,  First  Dragoons,  was  organized  to  op- 
erate against  these  raiding  Cheyennes.  Camp  was 
made  near  Fort  Saint  Vrain,  on  the  South  Platte, 
In  July,  everything  being  in  readiness,  the  little  col- 
umn marched  to  the  Smoky  Hill  branch  of  the 
Kansas  River.  Here  the  Cheyennes  were  met, 
gathered  beside  a  small  lake,  which  they  believed 
enchanted,  so  that  if  they  dipped  their  hands  in  the 
water  they  became  invulnerable.  Under  this  im- 
pression they  attacked  the  troops  with  firmness, 
chanting  their  war-songs  as  they  advanced.  But  the 
dragoons  charged  with  sabres,  killing  and  wounding 
a  large  number,  and  putting  the  remainder  to  flight. 
From  this  point  Sumner  made  a  hasty  march  to 

[230] 


THE  ARMY  ON   THE   PLAINS 

the  relief  of  Bent's  Fort,  on  the  Arkansas;  he  ar- 
rived just  in  time  to  prevent  the  scheming  Arapa- 
hoes  from  killing  all  the  whites  there  and  taking 
possession  of  the  property.  Sumner's  expedition 
completely  intimidated  the  Cheyennes,  and  for  the 
time  being  checked  the  outrages  along  the  border. 

Further  Efforts  to  Pacify  the   Indians 

In  September,  Major  Lynde  with  two  compa- 
nies of  the  Seventh  Infantry  arrived  at  Fort  Lara- 
mie,  and  wintered  there,  Major  Hoffman,  with  his 
command  of  the  Sixth,  departing  on  the  long  march 
for  Leavenworth.  The  next  summer,  1858,  Major 
Sedgwick,  with  four  more  companies  of  the  Sev- 
enth, and  headquarters,  staff,  and  band,  came  across 
the  Plains  bound  for  Utah.  Learning  at  Pacific 
Springs  that  the  Mormon  difficulty  had  been  set- 
tled, the  column  was  turned  back  eastward,  and  a 
military  post  established  at  the  junction  of  the  two 
forks  of  the  Kansas  River.  First  called  Camp  Cen- 
tre, it  became  later  the  famous  Fort  Riley. 

In  1859  W.  W.  Bent,  an  old-time  plainsman, 
favorably  known  to  all  the  tribes,  was  appointed 
Indian  Agent  for  the  Upper  Arkansas.  It  was 
largely  his  influence  that  kept  the  surrounding  re- 
gions comparatively  peaceable  for  the  next  two 
years.  The  Kiowas  and  Comanches  had  by  this 
time  been  driven  from  Texas,  and  now  permanently 
occupied  the  country  lying  between  the  Arkan- 
sas and  the  Canadian.  They  numbered  about  2,500 
warriors,  and  assumed  so  threatening  an  attitude 

[231] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

that  posts  were  established  at  the  mouth  of  Pawnee 
Fork,  and  near  the  site  of  Bent's  Fort,  for  their  bet- 
ter control.  The  first  was  named  Fort  Larned,  and 
the  second  Fort  Wise ;  the  latter  afterward  became 
Fort  Lyon. 


[232] 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS— DURING  THE 
CIVIL  WAR 

An  Alliance  of  Indian  Tribes 

THE  necessities  arising  from  the  outbreaking 
of  war  between  the  North  and  the  South 
caused  the  almost  total  withdrawal  of  regular  troops 
from  the  Plains,  leaving  at  some  posts  barely  a  cor- 
poral's guard  as  protection  to  Government  proper- 
ty. The  Indian  tribes,  uneasy  before,  were  quick  to 
discover  their  opportunity  for  outbreak,  and  a  vast 
offensive  alliance,  involving  nearly  all  the  fighting 
tribes  of  the  Great  Plains,  was  rapidly  effected. 
Scarcely  had  the  great  struggle  for  the  preservation 
of  the  nation  begun  before  the  savages  burst  forth 
in  terrible  ferocity  along  the  Western  trails,  confi- 
dent they  could  now  murder  and  rob  without  danger 
of  immediate  punishment.  Unable  to  spare  regular 
troops  with  which  to  combat  this  sudden  Indian 
uprising,  the  Government  despatched  to  the  Plains 
certain  hastily  organized  regiments  of  volunteers 
which  had  been  destined  for  the  main  army,  while 
the  authorities  of  Kansas,  Nebraska,  and  Colorado 
mustered  local  organizations  for  the  defence  of 
their  own  borders.  By  this  time  the  two  former 
communities  had  attained  to  a  considerable  popula- 
tion, but  grouped  in  the  more  eastern  counties  and 
along  the  principal  water-courses;  the  Plains 

[233] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

proper,  being  considered  totally  unfit  for  agricul- 
ture, remained  in  original  desolation.  In  Colorado 
a  comparatively  large  population  had  suddenly 
sprung  up  as  a  result  of  valuable  gold  discoveries 
made  in  1858.  It  was  of  the  restless,  adventurous 
frontier  type,  admirably  adapted  to  the  exigencies 
of  Indian  campaigning.  The  volunteer  organiza- 
tions thus  utilized  for  the  protection  of  the  border 
found  ample  work  confronting  them,  and  saw  much 
of  hardship  and  fighting. 

Some  Small  Successes  of  the  Soldiers 

In  1862  the  Second  Colorado,  under  Colonel 
Leavenworth,  was  the  only  force  operating  along 
the  Arkansas.  It  had  headquarters  at  Fort  Lyon, 
formerly  Fort  Wise,  and  was  kept  exceedingly 
busy  by  the  constant  depredations  of  raiding  par- 
ties of  Comanches  and  Kiowas.  In  January,  1863, 
the  First  Colorado  Cavalry,  Colonel  Chivington, 
arrived  at  this  post,  and  the  Second  Colorado 
marched  east  to  Forts  Larned  and  Leavenworth  for 
the  better  protection  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail.  In  July 
this  force  met  an  invasion  of  Texans  at  Cabin  Creek, 
and,  after  a  sharp  fight,  in  which  the  enemy  lost 
forty  killed  and  wounded,  drove  the  invaders  back 
across  the  Kansas  border.  The  First  Cavalry  now 
became  the  only  armed  force  in  the  country  north 
of  Fort  Garland,  and  found  plenty  to  do.  Actual 
field  work,  however,  did  not  begin  until  1864,  when 
the  Indians  made  a  raid  on  a  herd  of  commissary 

[234] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE   PLAINS 

cattle,  running  off  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
head  from  a  point  forty  miles  southeast  of  Denver. 

Lieutenant  Ayre  with  a  detachment  followed, 
and  recovered  twenty ;  one  of  his  men  was  wounded. 
Returning  to  the  post  for  subsistence,  the  Lieuten- 
ant, with  one  hundred  troopers  and  two  Howitzers, 
started  again  on  the  trail,  and  proceeded  east  al- 
most to  Fort  Larned.  Near  the  head  of  the  Re- 
publican and  Smoky  Hill  Forks  he  ran  into  a  band 
of  four  hundred  Cheyennes,  and  a  desperate  fight 
ensued.  The  Indians  charged  the  howitzers,  rush- 
ing to  the  belching  muzzles,  and  falling  dead  with- 
in reach  of  the  gunners.  About  thirty  were  killed, 
including  the  chief,  the  whites  retiring  victorious. 
The  same  month,  at  Kiowa  Creek,  a  similar  inci- 
dent occurred,  the  Indian  horse-thieves  being  this 
time  pursued  vigorously  by  Lieutenant  Clark  Dunn, 
with  twenty  troopers.  His  force  attacked  fifty 
Cheyennes,  but  being  armed  only  with  revolvers 
and  sabres,  it  inflicted  but  little  damage.  Near  the 
junction  of  the  South  Platte,  Major  Downing,  pur- 
suing a  third  raiding  party,  surprised  a  fortified 
Indian  camp,  killed  twenty-five,  destroyed  the  vil- 
lage, and  captured  a  hundred  horses.  Only  one  sol- 
dier was  killed  in  this  affair. 

But  in  spite  of  these  small  successes,  repeated 
and  horrible  outrages  increased.  In  June  came  the 
murder  of  the  Hungate  family,  and  the  stampede  of 
stock  from  the  settlements  along  Box  Elder  Creek, 
within  a  few  miles  of  Denver.  The  Indians  escaped. 

[2351 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

In  July  a  general  Indian  council  was  held  at  Paw- 
nee Fork,  participated  in  by  Cheyennes,  Arapahoes, 
Comanches,  Apaches,  and  Kiowas.  Promises 
made  at  this  time  to  the  Indian  agent  were  almost 
immediately  broken.  Even  while  returning  from 
the  peace  council  a  band  of  Kiowas  stampeded  all 
the  stock  at  Fort  Larned,  and  a  few  days  later  the 
Arapahoes  made  a  raid  on  the  settlers  along  the 
river.  The  situation  was  becoming  most  critical; 
not  more  than  six  weeks'  supply  of  food  was  left 
in  the  Territory;  mail  communication  with  the 
East  was  entirely  suspended,  messengers  having 
been  killed,  and  the  letters  scattered  to  the  winds. 
Only  one  station  was  left  standing  for  a  distance 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  and  for  four 
hundred  miles  the  freighting  wagons  durst  not  brave 
the  trail. 

Outrages  by  Indians  and  by  Colonel  Chivington 

In  spite  of  the  danger  hovering  over  every  mile 
of  the  way,  this  year  witnessed  an  immense  emigra- 
tion to  the  Pacific.  Nineteen  thousand  en  route  are 
reported  to  have  passed  Fort  Laramie.  That  a  great 
many  were  killed  on  the  way  is  beyond  question, 
although  no  records  were  preserved.  Many  trains 
reported  having  been  attacked,  and  some  of  the. emi- 
grants were  obliged  to  desert  their  goods  and  cattle. 
Of  settlers  residing  within  the  limits  of  Colorado 
more  than  two  hundred  were  made  victims.  So 
bold  became  the  Indian  raiders  that  they  organ- 
ized for  simultaneous  attack  on  exposed  settlements 

[236] 


THE  ARMY   ON  THE   PLAINS 

miles  apart.  For  thirty  days  no  mails  reached  Den- 
ver, and  no  stages,  or  freighting  trains  moved  in 
Colorado.  Then  newly  organized  militia,  under 
General  Teller,  took  the  field  and  patrolled  the 
road  between  Denver  and  Julesburg,  leaving  the 
First  Cavalry  to  operate  along  the  Arkansas.  Be- 
yond thus  opening  up  communication  with  the  East 
comparatively  little  was  accomplished  by  either 
force,  time  being  frittered  away  in  councils  with 
various  small  bands,  some  of  whom  surrendered. 
One  of  these,  composed  of  400  Arapahoes  and  Chey- 
ennes,  was  sent  to  Sand  Creek  by  the  Indian  agent, 
practically  as  prisoners.  Here,  without  any  known 
provocation,  on  November  27,  Colonel  Chiving- 
ton,  with  nine  hundred  men  of  the  First  Cavalry, 
made  a  ferocious  attack,  killing  131  men,  women, 
and  children,  with  a  loss  to  the  soldiers  of  fifty 
killed  and  wounded.  No  justification  of  this  act 
of  treachery  has  ever  been  advanced.  The  number 
of  troops  now  in  the  field  held  eastern  Colorado 
peaceful  until  the  close  of  the  Civil  War. 

Engagements  with  Sioux,  Cheyennes,  and  Arapahoes 

Farther  to  the  north  the  Sioux  broke  into  re- 
bellion as  soon  as  the  regular  troops  were  with- 
drawn from  their  territory,  and  were  assisted  in 
their  raids  by  Cheyennes  and  Pawnees.  Fort  Lara- 
mie  and  the  Black  Hills  became  the  more  promi- 
nent storm  centres.  The  first  volunteer  forces  at 
Laramie  were  two  troops  Fourth  Iowa  Cavalry, 
one  Sixth  Ohio  Cavalry,  and  one  company  Eighth 

[237] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

Kansas  Infantry.  There  were  constant  changes, 
however,  the  First  and  Eleventh  Ohio  Cavalry,  the 
Seventh  Iowa  and  the  Sixth  Michigan  all  seeing 
service  at  this  exposed  post.  The  first  outbreak  of 
the  Sioux  swept  the  border  settlements  of  Minne- 
sota in  1862,  and  was  immediately  followed  by  a 
general  uprising  throughout  the  country  of  the 
northern  and  central  Plains.  With  the  exception  of 
those  few  inhabitants  gathered  about  the  Overland 
stage  stations,  there  were  not  many  permanent  set- 
tlements at  this  date  beyond  the  eastern  Platte  or 
along  the  valley  of  the  Missouri.  But  the  stage 
lines  and  freighting  caravans  suffered  greatly,  and 
murder  and  robbery  marked  every  mile  of  the 
Trail.  The  year  1864  was  the  bloodiest  of  the  pe- 
riod. General  Sully,  with  3,000  men,  led  an  expe- 
dition directly  into  the  Sioux  country,  and,  at  Deer 
Stand,  closed  in  battle  with  15,000  warriors.  The 
Indians  were  defeated,  losing  585  braves.  Farther 
west,  in  the  Bad  Lands,  Sully  fought  them  again, 
and  defeated  them,  but  was  unable  to  discover  and 
destroy  their  villages. 

While  this  force  was  still  operating  in  Dakota, 
the  Arapahoes  were  engaged  in  deadly  work  to  the 
south  and  west  of  Laramie,  attacking  emigrant 
trains,  and  on  several  occasions  burning  alive  pris- 
oners bound  to  their  wagon  wheels.  Finally  the 
Sioux,  breaking  away  before  Sully's  determined 
advance,  swept  down  through  the  Black  Hills  to 
the  Powder  River,  and  united  with  their  allies, 
the  Cheyennes.  Several  fierce  but  small  engage- 

[238] 


INDIANS    EXECUTING     A     WAR     DANCE 
(  Stockaded  Fort  in  the  Background ) 


AN  INDIAN  ENCAMPMENT 


INDIAN  LIFE  ON  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 


THE   ARMY   ON   THE   PLAINS 

ments  occurred  between  their  raiding  parties  and 
detachments  of  troops  from  the  Seventh  Iowa 
Cavalry,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Julesburg.  Men 
of  the  Eleventh  Ohio  were  also  engaged,  and  gave 
a  good  account  of  themselves,  but  these  minor 
fights  did  not  serve  to'check  the  continued  depreda- 
tions of  the  savages. 

Indians  Sue  for  Peace 

Several  expeditions  were  organized,  the  most 
important  being  that  under  command  of  General 
Connor,  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  the  road  to 
Montana,  via  the  Powder  and  Big  Horn  Rivers.  He 
had  with  him  a  considerable  force,  consisting  of 
detachments  from  the  Sixth  and  Seventh  Michigan 
Cavalry,  two  hundred  Pawnee  and  Omaha  scouts, 
and  a  battery  of  the  Second  Missouri  Artillery.  The 
column  advanced  to  the  head  of  the  Tongue  River 
without  encountering  any  hostiles,  and  the  expedi- 
tion finally  degenerated  into  a  mere  hunt  after  wild 
game,  in  which  the  officers  found  much  pleasure. 
Yet  this,  with  other  movements  and  the  concentra- 
tion of  troops,  now  made  possible  by  the  ending  of 
the  Civil  War,  told  the  chiefs  of  the  Sioux  nation, 
the  impossibility  of  longer  safely  continuing  upon 
the  warpath.  In  October  Swift  Bear's  band  came 
in  to  Laramie  suing  for  peace,  and  reported  that 
others  were  ready  to  follow  him.  Peace  Commis- 
sioners were  appointed,  and  met  in  council  with  the 
representatives  of  the  various  Sioux  tribes.  Satis- 
factory terms  were  agreed  upon,  and  the  Cheyennes 

[239] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

and  Arapahoes  joined  with  the  majority  of  the 
Sioux  in  a  treaty  of  peace.  Red  Cloud,  chief  of  the 
Ogallala  Sioux,  refused  to  present  himself  at  this 
conference,  and  continued  to  express  his  dissat- 
is  faction  and  hostility.  In  the  next  few  months  his 
following  greatly  increased,  and  he  became  suffi- 
ciently powerful  to  inaugurate  another  serious 
outbreak. 

Praise  for   the   Fighters   of  the   Indians 

The  close  of  the  war  between  the  States  caused 
the  mustering  out  of  the  volunteer  troops,  and  the 
despatching  once  more  of  regulars  to  the  frontier 
for  the  purpose  of  garrisoning  the  scattered  posts. 
No  words  can  fitly  honor  the  services  rendered  to 
the  West  by  the  volunteer  organizations  then  dis- 
banded. Inspired  by  patriotism,  the  men  had  of- 
fered themselves  to  the  Government  to  help  to  save 
the  nation  from  dismemberment.  They  burned 
with  eagerness  to  be  despatched  to  the  front  to  bat- 
tle against  those  forces  arrayed  in  arms  against  their 
country.  Instead,  they  were  sent  to  the  Indian- 
raided  frontier,  and  assigned  to  work  of  the  most 
disagreeable  character.  They  were  called  upon  to 
suffer  hardships,  wounds,  and  death  in  profitless  In- 
dian campaigning;  to  garrison  isolated  posts,  and 
to  guard  long  lines  of  stage  routes  through  barren 
Plains.  Without  hope  of  honor,  and  without  the 
inspiration  which  arises  from  opportunities  for 
great  achievements,  their  colors  undecorated  with 
the  names  of  noble  battlefields,  their  service  ob- 

[24°] 


THE   ARMY  ON  THE   PLAINS 

scure  and  known  only  to  a  few,  these  commands 
performed  the  duty  given  them  with  patience  and 
fidelity.  They  marched  and  fought,  they  suffered 
and  died,  they  braved  the  fiery  sun  of  midsummer 
on  arid  Plains,  the  bitter  storms  of  winter  amid  the 
mountains.  To  their  great  sacrifice  the  West  owes 
much  gratitude,  and  the  nation  may  well  be  proud 
of  such  worthy  sons. 


[241] 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS— MASSACRE  AT 
FORT  PHILIP  KEARNEY 

The  Sioux  Dissatisfied  with  the  Treaty  of  Peace 

THE  mass  of  the  Sioux  warriors  were  never 
satisfied  with  that  treaty  which  a  few  minor 
chiefs  had  signed  at  Fort  Laramie.  Under  the 
leadership  of  Red  Cloud,  one  of  the  greatest  Indians 
the  Plains  have  produced,  this  opposition  grew  war- 
like and  threatening.  A  mistake  of  the  Gov- 
ernment at  about  this  time  tended  to  give  these 
malcontents  courage  and  to  swell  their  ranks.  This 
was  the  abandoning  and  dismantling  of  the  military 
posts  of  Fort  Reno,  Fort  Philip  Kearney,  and  Fort 
C.  F.  Smith  on  the  east  side  of  the  Big  Horn  Moun- 
tains. The  Sioux  were  quick  to  construe  this  re- 
treat as  exhibiting  fear  of  their  prowess,  and  the 
result  was  a  long,  distressing  struggle  which  did  not 
reach  its  conclusion  until  1870. 

Colonel   Carrington  Builds   Fort  Philip   Kearney 

The  story  of  Fort  Philip  Kearney  during  the 
two  years  it  remained  garrisoned  is  one  of  the  most 
tragic  in  American  history.  Colonel  Henry  B. 
Carrington  was  the  officer  selected  to  build  this  fort 
in  the  far  wilderness.  With  a  little  army  of  seven 
hundred  men,  five  hundred  of  whom  were  raw  re- 
cruits, four  pieces  of  artillery,  and  two  hundred  and 

[242] 


THE  ARMY   ON   THE   PLAINS 

twenty-six  wagons,  he  left  Fort  Kearney,  Nebraska, 
May  19,  1866.  Trouble  with  the  Indians  was  not 
anticipated,  as  the  peace  treaty  had  already  been 
duly  signed.  Wives  and  children  of  several  of  the 
officers  accompanied  the  column,  riding  in  ambu- 
lances, so  satisfied  were  those  in  authority  that  they 
were  going  upon  a  peaceful  mission.  The  march 
was  slow,  the  distance  great — more  than  six  hun- 
dred miles  to  Fort  Reno,  at  the  crossing  of  the  Pow- 
der River.  Nearly  all  this  distance  the  column 
passed  through  the  Sioux  country,  yet  saw  no  hos- 
tile Indian,  although  it  is  probable  their  every  step 
was  spied  upon.  On  the  twenty-eighth  of  June  they 
arrived  at  Fort  Reno. 

By  this  time  the  Indians,  no  longer  having  any 
doubt  as  to  their  purpose,  began  annoying  the 
troops,  obstructing  their  progress,  and  endeavoring 
to  stampede  their  stock.  Thus  discovering  the 
Sioux  in  warlike  mood,  Carrington,  unwilling  to 
abandon  Fort  Reno,  restockaded  the  fort,  and  gar- 
risoned it  from  his  command.  Then,  accompanied 
by  a  force  now  numbering  barely  five  hundred,  he 
pushed  forward  into  the  farther  wilderness.  He  se- 
lected as  a  site  for  the  new  fort  a  spot  on  the  banks 
of  Big  Piney  Creek,  an  affluent  of  Powder  River, 
about  four  miles  from  the  Big  Horn  Range,  with 
Cloud  Peak  towering  above  it  nine  thousand  feet 
into  the  air.  This  was  on  July  13,  1866.  The  men 
fell  promptly  to  work,  cutting  trees,  preparing  the 
ground,  and  placing  timbers  in  position,  all  anxious 
to  have  the  labor  completed  before  the  winter  shut 

[243] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

down  upon  them.  This  labor  was  carried  forward 
under  the  utmost  difficulty,  and  in  an  atmosphere  of 
constant  danger.  Apparently  they  were  from  the 
very  first  surrounded  by  hostile  savages;  the  wood- 
choppers,  the  wood  trains,  the  cattle,  had  to  be  pro- 
tected constantly  by  armed  guards.  Scarcely  a  day 
passed  without  a  death  by  violence.  During  the 
first  six  months  of  occupancy  the  Indians  killed  one 
hundred  and  fifty- four  persons  —  soldiers  and  civil- 
ians,—  wounded  twenty  more,  and  captured  nearly 
seven  hundred  animals.  Early  in  October  two  con- 
tract surgeons,  together  with  Lieutenant  Grum- 
mond  and  his  young  bride  and  an  escort  of  eight 
men  arrived.  As  they  reached  the  main  gate  they 
had  to  wait  the  passage  of  a  wagon  bearing  the 
scalped  and  mutilated  body  of  a  soldier  just  killed. 
It  was  a  strange  welcome  to  the  young  wife,  almost 
prophetic  of  another  tragedy  only  two  months 
away. 

Siege  of  the  Fort 

By  the  thirty-first  of  October  the  troops  were 
fairly  under  cover,  although  the  post  was  never 
fully  completed.  The  last  log,  however,  was  placed 
in  the  stockade,  and  the  garrison  flag  floated  at  the 
apex  of  the  staff.  From  that  moment  the  troops 
within  the  shelter  of  those  log  walls  were  in  a  state 
of  siege.  The  Indians  fairly  swarmed  about,  mak- 
ing several  actual  attacks  in  force,  while  every  sup- 
ply train  from  the  east  had  to  fight  its  way  through. 
Twice  the  savages  captured  the  post  herd,  grazing 
under  guard  almost  within  rifle-shot  of  the  stockade. 

[244] 


THE   ARMY  ON   THE   PLAINS 

The  wood  train  was  still  sent  out  seven  miles  to 
Piney  Island,  but  seldom  returned  without  an  at- 
tack. A  lookout  was  kept  stationed  on  Pilot  Hill, 
where  he  could  signal  the  garrison  for  help  on  such 
occasions.  In  this  way  a  relief  column  was  in- 
stantly despatched  to  assist  the  wagons  to  get  in. 

On  the  sixth  of  December  such  an  attack  was 
made  on  the  wood  train  when  only  two  miles  from 
the  fort,  and  Captain  W.  J.  Fetterman  was  de- 
spatched with  forty  mounted  men  to  its  relief,  while 
Colonel  Carrington,  with  another  small  command, 
sought  to  outflank  the  savages.  Fetterman  drove 
the  Indians  from  the  train,  and  pursued  them  four 
miles,  when,  being  reinforced,  they  suddenly  turned 
and  charged  down  upon  him.  Taken  by  surprise,  a 
part  of  the  command  gave  way,  leaving  Fetterman, 
Captain  Brown,  and  Lieutenant  Wands,  with  only 
fourteen  men,  to  face  the  advancing  warriors.  This 
was  done,  however,  until  Carrington  came  up,  but 
cost  the  lives  of  Lieutenant  Bingham  and  Sergeant 
Bowers.  By  this  time  Red  Cloud  himself  was  in 
command  of  the  allied  Sioux,  and  the  little  garrison 
was  permitted  no  rest. 

Captain  Fetterman  Goes  to  Rescue  a  Wood  Train 

Only  two  weeks  later,  December  21,  a  similar 
alarm  was  signalled  in  from  Pilot  Hill.  A  train 
numbering  ninety  men,  all  armed,  had  been  sent  out 
after  more  lumber.  Suddenly  the  watchers  of  the 
fort  read  the  signalled  message,  "  Many  Indians  on 
wood  road;  train  corralled  and  fighting."  This  was 

[245] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

at  eleven  o'clock.  Without  delay  eighty  men  were 
despatched  to  the  rescue,  and,  at  his  own  request, 
Captain  Fetterman  was  put  in  command.  Two 
other  officers,  Captain  Brown  and  Lieutenant 
Grummond,  accompanied  the  detachment  as  volun- 
teers, and  two  frontiersmen,  Fisher  and  Wheatley, 
who  were  armed  with  the  recently  invented  Henry 
repeating  rifle,  requested  permission  to  go  along. 
About  fifty  of  the  soldiers  carried  Spencer  repeat- 
ing carbines,  the  remainder  being  armed  with 
Springfield  muzzle-loading  rifles. 

There  has  been  much  controversy  over  Carring- 
ton's  orders  to  Fetterman  on  his  leaving  the  fort, 
the  contention  being  that  the  ardor  of  the  latter  of- 
ficer caused  him  to  advance  much  farther  than  his 
instructions  warranted.  Fetterman's  scorn  of  the 
Indians  was  well  known,  he  having  boasted  that 
with  eighty  men  he  could  ride  through  the  whole 
Sioux  nation.  He  now  had  his  eighty  men,  and 
the  chance  had  come.  On  this  occasion  it  would 
seem  that  his  orders  were  explicit,  "on  no  account 
to  pursue  the  Indians  beyond  Lodge  Tree  Ridge." 
With  these  words  of  caution  yet  ringing  in  his  ears 
Captain  Fetterman  led  his  little  command  forward 
upon  the  Montana  Road,  crossed  Big  Piney  Creek, 
and  passed  to  the  southwest  of  Lodge  Tree  Ridge. 
His  purpose  was  evidently  to  cut  off  the  Indians 
who  were  still  attacking  the  corralled  wagon  train. 
But  as  he  approached  the  foot-hills  other  Indians 
suddenly  appeared  on  his  front  and  flank,  and  he 
promptly  swung  his  men  forward  up  the  hill  to  the 

[246] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE   PLAINS 

ridge.    Just  before  twelve  o'clock  his  skirmishers 
occupied  the  crest. 

All  this  could  be  plainly  seen  from  the  fort. 
Shortly  after,  the  Indians  withdrew  from  their  at- 
tack on  the  wood  train,  and  at  about  the  same  time 
Fetterman's  men,  advancing  as  skirmishers,  swept 
over  the  apex  of  the  ridge  and  disappeared  from 
view.  Some  scattered  firing  was  heard,  which 
shortly  developed  into  a  steady,  continuous  roar  of 
rifles.  Every  listening  man  realized  that  desperate, 
savage  fighting  was  going  on  out  yonder  in  Peno 
Creek  Valley.  Colonel  Carrington  despatched  As- 
sistant Surgeon  Hines  with  one  man  to  the  wood 
train,  which  was  already  starting  to  move  in  toward 
the  fort.  If  his  professional  services  were  not  needed 
there,  Hines  was  instructed  to  endeavor  to  reach 
Fetterman.  The  two  rode  at  full  speed,  passed  the 
train,  and  headed  their  horses  straight  for  Peno 
Creek.  But  Lodge  Trail  Ridge  was  black  with  In- 
dians, and,  finding  it  impossible  to  get  through,  the 
two  dashed  back  to  the  fort  with  the  report  of  what 
they  had  seen. 

Fetterman  and  his  Band  Slain 

Carrington  did  not  hesitate.  Leaving  barely 
soldiers  enough  to  defend  the  post,  he  sent  Captain 
Ten  Eyck  forward  to  the  rescue  with  seventy- 
six  men,  mounted  on  every  horse  or  mule  to  be 
found.  Hines  went  with  Ten  Eyck,  and  the  little 
command  dashed  straight  for  the  ridge.  Still 
afraid  he  had  not  sent  out  a  sufficient  force,  Colonel 

[247] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

Carrington  hastily  mustered  forty  more  men,  and 
sent  them  forward  after  Ten  Eyck  on  the  run.  Only 
one  hundred  and  nineteen  were  now  left  to  man  the 
walls  of  the  fort  and  defend  it  in  case  of  attack. 
As  Ten  Eyck  pushed  on,  the  sound  of  shots  in  the 
valley  beyond  the  ridge  died  entirely  away;  and, 
when,  at  about  one  o'clock,  his  line  of  battle  finally 
reached  the  summit,  no  sound  reached  them  but  the 
yelling  of  the  savages.  There  was  an  inch  or  two  of 
snow  on  the  hills,  and  footprints  were  plainly  visi- 
ble showing  where  Fetterman's  men  had  gone  down 
into  the  valley.  But  nothing  could  be  seen  of  them 
now.  The  entire  valley  seemed  filled  with  warriors, 
crazed  with  victory,  brandishing  their  weapons,  and 
yelling  defiance.  Taunting  and  cursing,  they  dared 
the  little  band  to  come  down.  But  Ten  Eyck  durst 
not  move,  and  finally  the  Indian  mass  in  his  front 
began  to  move  away,  possibly  fearing  a  flank  at- 
tack from  the  train  guard. 

Cautiously,  and  realizing  that  two  thousand  In- 
dians were  still  somewhere  in  his  front,  Ten  Eyck 
swung  his  little  command  forward  in  line  of  battle 
down  the  slope.  Half  a  mile  in  advance  they 
mounted  a  small  ridge  which  had  obstructed  their 
view,  and  near  which  the  greater  number  of  Indians 
had  lately  been  massed.  As  they  cleared  its  summit 
they  came  upon  a  sickening  sight.  Lying  in  a 
space  less  than  fifty  feet  square,  were  the  bodies  of 
Captains  Fetterman  and  Brown,  with  sixty- five  en- 
listed men.  They  presented  all  the  nameless  horrors 
of  Indian  mutilation.  But  to  these  gallant  com- 

[248] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS 

rades  of  the  relief  force  gazing  down  helplessly 
upon  the  awful  scene  of  carnage,  the  horror  was  in- 
tensified by  the  evidence  that  this  had  been  mas- 
sacre, not  battle.  Nothing  told  of  struggle,  there 
were  no  signs  of  protracted  defence;  on  the  ground 
lay  only  five  or  six  empty  cartridge  shells.  What 
had  really  happened  came  home  to  those  men  of  the 
relief  column  instantly, —  Fetterman  had  started 
forth  with  insufficient  ammunition,  and  with  empty 
guns  and  empty  cartridge  belts,  his  men  had  been 
ridden  down  by  the  frenzied  warriors,  shot,  speared 
and  clubbed  to  death.  Officers  and  men  went  down 
together  struggling  hopelessly  to  the  last. 

Although  Lieutenant  Grummond,  several  of  the 
enlisted  men,  and  the  two  civilians  were  not  among 
those  found  lying  in  this  ring  of  death,  Captain 
Ten  Eyck  did  not  think  it  advisable  to  push  his 
small  force  any  farther  forward.  The  short  De- 
cember day  was  already  beginning  to  wane,  and  a 
courier  was  hastily  despatched  to  the  fort  with  the 
news,  and  a  request  for  wagons  in  which  to  bring  in 
the  dead  bodies.  Two  were  sent,  and  forty-nine  of 
the  dead,  all  they  would  accommodate,  placed  upon 
them,  and  after  dark  the  relief  column,  with  their 
ghastly  charge,  reached  the  safety  of  the  stockade. 
The  next  morning  they  found  the  others.  A  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  in  advance  of  where  Fetterman  had 
died  were  the  bodies  of  Lieutenant  Grummond  and 
the  missing  soldiers.  But  they  had  evidently  fallen 
after  fighting  desperately.  All  about  them  were 
dead  ponies  and  patches  of  blood  crimsoning  the 

[249] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

snow,  while  the  ground  was  strewn  with  empty 
cartridge  shells.  Fisher  and  Wheatley  were  dis- 
covered together,  a  short  distance  away  from  the 
others,  where  they  had  taken  shelter  behind  a  pile 
of  rocks.  The  frontiersmen  had  sold  their  lives 
dearly,  for  there  were  sixty  gouts  of  blood,  and  ten 
dead  Indian  ponies  within  rifle  shot  of  their  posi- 
tion, while  about  them  lay  more  than  fifty  emptied 
cartridge  shells. 

Little  by  little  the  facts  of  this  terrible  event 
came  out  by  examination  of  the  field  and  the  bodies 
of  the  dead.  Of  all  those  men  who  fell  in  mass  to- 
gether only  four,  beside  the  two  officers,  had  been 
struck  by  bullets.  Helpless  to  defend  themselves 
against  the  multitude  of  their  enemies  they  had  been 
killed  by  arrows,  tomahawks,  or  spears,  their  last 
moments  spent  in  torture.  Brown  and  Fetterman 
were  lying  side  by  side,  each  with  a  bullet  wound 
in  the  left  temple.  These  had  been  fired  so  closely 
that  the  faces  were  burned  and  blackened  with  pow- 
der. Time  and  again  both  had  sworn  to  die  rather 
than  be  taken  alive,  and  it  is  probable  that  in  that 
moment  of  extremity  they  had  kept  their  vows.  It 
was  made  clear  that  the  men  had  fought  until  their 
ammunition  was  exhausted,  and  then  had  either 
been  ordered  to  retreat,  or  had  started  toward  the 
fort  without  orders.  All  the  dead  cavalry  horses 
lay  with  heads  toward  the  fort.  A  retreat  under 
such  conditions  meant  annihilation.  Grummond 
and  his  men  probably  fell  in  a  heroic  effort  to  cover 

[250] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS 

the  retreat.    This,  at  least,  seems  to  be  the  story  of 
the  field. 

Colonel  Carrington's  March  in  a  Blizzard 

It  was  now  midwinter,  and  the  depleted  garri- 
son were  shut  up  tightly  within  the  stockade.  Yet 
even  under  such  conditions  the  War  Department 
ordered  Colonel  Carrington  to  proceed  to  Fort  Cas- 
par. He  was  to  be  relieved  of  the  command  at 
Kearney  by  his  Lieutenant-colonel,  with  four  com- 
panies of  the  Eighteenth  Infantry.  The  weather 
was  severe,  the  snow  banked  almost  to  the  top  of 
the  stockade,  but,  in  the  face  of  a  blizzard,  the 
march  began.  With  Colonel  Carrington  were  his 
wife  and  children,  while  Mrs.  Grummond  bore 
with  her  the  remains  of  her  husband.  It  was  a  jour- 
ney of  horror,  during  which  the  entire  party  nar- 
rowly escaped  freezing  to  death.  More  than  half 
the  sixty-five  composing  the  company  were  severely 
frost-bitten;  three  amputations  and  one  death  re- 
sulted from  this  unnecessary  and  cruel  order.  Thus 
ended  this  awful  tragedy;  less  than  a  year  later,  al- 
most on  the  same  spot,  came  the  opportunity  for  re- 
venge. 


[251] 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS— THIRTY-TWO 
AGAINST  THREE  THOUSAND 

Captain   Powell  Escorts  a   Squad   of   Wood-Cutters 

THE  killing  of  Fetterman's  command  gave 
great  prestige  to  Red  Cloud,  and  thousands 
of  braves  hastened  to  join  him.  More  closely  than 
ever  did  the  rejoicing  warriors  invest  Fort  Kearney. 
Even  through  the  bitter  winter  they  continued  to 
harass  the  garrison,  and  with  the  coming  of  spring 
every  line  of  communication  was  sundered.  When 
summer  arrived,  Red  Cloud  determined  on  open 
war  and  the  razing  of  the  fort  to  the  ground.  For 
this  purpose  he  gathered  together  no  less  than  three 
thousand  warriors,  the  pick  of  all  the  Sioux  fight- 
ing men.  His  plan  was  to  make  a  direct  attack 
August  i,  1867;  in  the  meantime  his  skirmishing 
parties  kept  the  soldiers  so  closely  invested  that  they 
could  learn  little  regarding  his  movements.  Cir- 
cumstances, however,  compelled  the  wily  old  Chief 
to  act  earlier,  and  in  the  open.  On  the  thirty-first 
of  July  a  party  of  civilian  wood-cutters  were  sent 
out  from  the  fort  to  Piney  Island,  seven  miles  dis- 
tant. They  had  with  them  fourteen  wagons,  and 
were  guarded  by  Company  C,  Twenty- Seventh  In- 
fantry, numbering  fifty-one  men,  the  officers  being 

[252] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Captain  James  Powell,  and  Lieutenant  John  C. 
Jenness.  The  trip  out  was  made  without  incident, 
but  upon  arriving  there  the  civilian  contractor  di- 
vided his  squad  of  wood-cutters,  so  that  Powell,  in 
order  to  protect  them  while  at  work,  was  compelled 
to  send  a  portion  of  his  small  guarding  force  with 
each  party.  A  non-commissioned  officer,  with 
twelve  men,  was  selected  to  care  for  those  in 
the  woods;  thirteen  men,  under  another  non-com- 
missioned officer,  were  detailed  to  escort  the 
wagons.  With  the  remaining  twenty-six  men  and 
his  lieutenant,  Powell  established  headquarters  near 
the  centre  of  a  level  plain,  perhaps  a  thousand 
yards  across,  and  surrounded  by  low  hills. 

In  hauling  cord-wood  only  the  running-gear  of 
the  wagons  was  used,  and  now,  as  the  cutters  fell 
promptly  to  work,  the  wagon  boxes  were  removed. 
Powell  at  once  had  them  arranged  in  the  form  of 
a  wide  oval  in  the  very  centre  of  this  open  Plain. 
They  were  deep,  sufficiently  so  to  conceal  anyone 
lying  in  them.  Loop-holes  for  rifle  firing  were 
made,  and  at  the  two  ends  of  the  oval  two  complete 
wagons  were  posted,  so  arranged  as  to  break  the 
force  of  a  charge  of  horsemen.  The  space  between 
these  wagon  boxes  was  packed  with  logs  and  sacks 
of  grain,  thus  making  a  strong  defence.  Company 
C  had  just  had  issued  to  them  the  new  Allen  model 
of  the  Springfield  breech-loading  rifle,  and  their 
stock  of  ammunition  was  ample  for  all  purposes. 

Red  Cloud,  his  plans  nearly  completed  for  an 
attack  on  the  fort,  determined  that  he  would  now 

[253] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

begin  by  wiping  out  this  detachment  guarding  the 
wood-cutters.  He  had  no  reason  to  suppose  this 
would  be  a  difficult  operation.  Powell's  men  were 
on  the  ground  two  days,  however,  before  the  In- 
dians were  prepared  to  commence  their  attack  upon 
him.  On  the  second  of  August,  about  nine  in  the 
morning,  full  two  hundred  braves  dashed  suddenly 
down  upon  the  mule  herd.  The  herders  fought 
with  determination,  but  finally  lost  their  animals. 
At  the  same  time  five  hundred  other  Indians  made 
a  fierce  attack  upon  the  wood  train.  The  wood- 
cutters and  their  guard  were  driven  back,  abandon- 
ing their  loads,  four  of  the  choppers  being  killed. 
Powell  made  a  sortie  from  his  improvised  fort  and 
drew  the  Indian  fire,  thus  giving  the  men  of  the 
wood  train,  as  well  as  the  herders,  an  opportunity 
for  escape;  but  he  was  driven  back  to  the  shelter 
of  the  corral.  Finding  the  others  were  beyond 
reach,  the  savages  now  turned  all  their  attention 
upon  Powell. 

Rout  of  Red  Cloud's  Warriors 

Before  the  scattered  bands  could  be  concen- 
trated, Powell  was  ready.  For  the  defence  of  the 
corral  he  had  with  him  his  lieutenant,  twenty-six 
enlisted  men,  and  four  civilians,  thirty-two  in  all. 
The  few  moments  permitted  for  preparation  were 
utilized  to  their  fullest  extent.  The  day  previous 
they  had  received  a  wagonload  of  clothing  and 
blankets.  Not  yet  unbaled,  this  clothing  was  used 
to  strengthen  weak  places  in  the  corral,  while  the 

[254] 


RED  CLOUD 

CHIEF  OF  THE  OGALLA  SIOUX 


THE   ARMY  ON  THE   PLAINS 

blankets  were  spread  over  the  wagon  boxes  the  bet- 
ter to  conceal  the  riflemen.  Boxes  of  extra  ammuni- 
tion were  opened  and  placed  in  easy  reach;  revol- 
vers, axes,  hatchets  were  scattered  wherever  they 
might  prove  most  convenient,  and  pails  filled  with 
water  for  instant  use  in  case  of  fire.  Then,  expect- 
ing to  die,  but  determined  to  fight  to  the  very  last 
shot,  the  men  took  their  places  in  the  wagon  boxes, 
their  anxious  eyes  peering  forth  through  the  loop- 
holes. 

They  had  not  long  to  wait.  Suddenly  the  hill- 
sides and  valleys  rang  with  the  exultant  war-whoops 
of  more  than  two  thousand  warriors,  and  five  hun- 
dred mounted  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes,  their  ri- 
fles in  hand,  swept  out  of  the  concealing  woods, 
less  than  half  a  mile  distant,  and  charged  straight 
at  that  silent  corral.  No  chief  or  brave  dreamed 
such  onslaught  could  fail.  In  utter  contempt  of  the 
few  whites  lying  behind  those  weak  defences  in  the 
open  Plain,  they  dashed  recklessly  forward,  yelling 
their  war  cries.  Half  the  distance  was  covered,  and 
the  corral  remained  grimly  silent,  exhibiting  no 
sign  of  life.  Fifty  yards  farther  the  quirt-lashed 
ponies  leaped,  and  then,  thirty  rifles  were  flaming 
in  their  faces.  Forsyth  writes : 

"  On  dash  the  warriors,  though  death  shrieks  now  mingle 
with  their  war  cries,  and  warriors  and  horses  go  down  together; 
still  the  onrushing  mass  never  hesitates  or  halts  in  its  mad 
whirl,  and  recklessly  sweeps  over  the  fallen  warriors  as  it 
dashes  onward  in  a  vain  endeavor  to  hurl  its  weight  on  the 
little  fire-vomiting  corral,  but  so  rapid  and  destructive  is  its  fire 
that,  before  they  are  within  ten  yards  of  it,  the  horses  recoil. 

[255] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

In  vain  do  the  warriors  sweep  out  and  surround  it.  From  every 
segment  of  the  circle  rifles  send  forth  death-dealing  bullets,  and 
not  for  an  instant  does  the  fire  slacken  or  cease." 

In  desperate  effort  the  savages  pour  in  a  galling 
fire,  but  to  no  effect.  The  roar  of  the  defending 
rifles  ceases  not,  and  with  cries  of  rage  the  Indians 
break  and  turn.  Even  as  they  flee  wildly  for  the 
woods  the  rifles  of  the  corral  bring  them  down,  dot- 
ting the  open  with  men  and  horses. 

The  result  of  this  charge  left  the  Indians  puz- 
zled and  exasperated,  and  the  little  garrison  confi- 
dent and  full  of  hope.  Three  men,  including 
Lieutenant  Jenness,  had  been  killed,  but  the  hand- 
ful left  hastily  repaired  their  defences,  reloaded 
their  spare  guns,  and  lay  down  to  wait.  To  Red 
Cloud  and  his  warriors  that  corral  hid  a  mystery  — 
how  could  those  few  white  men  pour  in  such  an 
endless  fire?  They  knew  nothing  then  of  the  pow- 
ers of  the  breech-loading  Springfield,  or  of  those 
extra  rifles  lying  beside  each  soldier,  ready  to  be 
snatched  up  in  an  instant.  But  they  were  not  yet 
defeated;  more  determined  than  ever  to  wipe  this 
white  detachment  from  the  earth,  eager  to  revenge 
their  dead,  the  whole  force  prepared  to  advance  on 
foot,  confident  still  of  crushing  the  defenders  of  the 
corral  by  sheer  force  of  numbers.  Having  stripped 
themselves  of  everything  but  arms  and  ammunition, 
seven  hundred  warriors  stole  forward  under  cover 
until  they  were  within  long  range  distance  of  the 
corral.  Spreading  out  so  as  completely  to  surround 

[256] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS 

this  primitive  fort,  they  opened  a  terrific  fire  from 
all  sides.  Crouching  low  in  the  shelter  of  the  wagon 
boxes,  the  soldiers  refused  to  reply,  the  corral  re- 
maining grimly  silent. 

Suddenly,  all  the  Indians  left  alive,  nearly  three 
thousand  in  number,  led  in  person  by  a  nephew  of 
Red  Cloud,  sprang  to  their  feet,  and  with  wild 
yells,  dashed  headlong  forward.  No  sooner  were 
they  within  short  rifle  range  than  the  corral  blazed 
again,  the  hidden  men  actually  pouring  bullets  into 
the  massed  hordes,  the  steady  fire  never  slackening 
for  an  instant.  Flesh  and  blood  could  not  stand 
such  awful  strain.  Again  and  again  the  enraged 
braves  swarmed  forward,  and  once  only,  their  des- 
perate advance  reached  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
corral ;  but  the  deadly  fire  withered  them,  and  they 
were  actually  blown  back  from  the  flaming  muzzles 
of  the  guns.  Utterly  demoralized  and  panic-stricken, 
the  great  mass  broke,  and  fled  beyond  range. 
In  the  safety  of  the  woods  the  chiefs  rallied  their 
braves,  and  led  them  forth  again  and  again  to  the 
attack.  Six  times  in  three  hours  those  warriors 
dashed  forward,  and  were  hurled  back  before  the 
ceaseless  rifles.  The  ground  about  the  corral  was 
ringed  with  Indians  slain.  Close  beside  the  wagon 
boxes  they  were  piled  in  heaps,  and  farther  away 
they  were  scattered  over  the  Plain.  Unknown  to 
those  gallant  defenders,  whose  ammunition  was  by 
now  running  low,  the  end  had  come,  their  fierce 
assailants  had  had  enough  of  slaughter. 

[2571 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

A  Rescue  Party  from  the  Fort 

Convinced  that  further  attack  was  useless,  be- 
lieving that  some  horrible  magic,  some  "  bad  medi- 
cine," protected  those  hidden  white  men,  Red 
Cloud's  sole  remaining  object  was  the  removal  of 
the  Indian  dead.  To  accomplish  this  his  skirmish- 
ers went  forward  again,  pouring  a  heavy  fire  into 
the  corral.  Under  this  cover,  and  protected  by 
stout  shields  of  buffalo-hide,  warriors  crept  for- 
ward, attaching  lariats  to  the  bodies,  and  thus 
drawing  them  away.  In  this  manner  they  suc- 
ceeded in  recovering  the  larger  number,  but  had 
not  completed  the  task,  when  suddenly  a  shell  burst 
in  their  midst,  and  a  rescuing  party  from  the  fort 
appeared  in  the  open.  The  Indians  at  once  retired. 

Estimate  of  the  Slaughter 

This  defence  of  thirty- two  men,  poorly  pro- 
tected by  entrenchments,  against  a  well-armed  force 
of  three  thousand  is  almost  without  parallel  in  his- 
tory. Within  the  corral  only  three  men  were  killed 
and  two  wounded.  Not  until  a  year  after  the  fight 
was  the  Indian  loss  definitely  ascertained,  and  then 
they  acknowledged  their  killed  and  wounded  to 
have  been  one  thousand,  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven.  This  means  that  each  man  in  the  corral  had 
stricken  down  at  least  thirty-six  Indians.  One  of 
the  frontiersmen  told  Colonel  Dodge  that  he  had 
kept  eight  guns  hot  to  the  hand  for  three  hours. 
Almost  all  the  water  placed  in  the  wagon  boxes 
for  emergencies  of  fire,  was  used  to  cool  the  heated 

[258] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE   PLAINS 

guns.  The  tops  of  the  wagon  boxes  were  literally 
torn  to  pieces  by  the  Indian  bullets,  but  the  men, 
lying  low,  were  protected  by  gunny-sacks  of  corn 
placed  on  edge  two  deep  on  the  inside  of  every  box. 
At  the  point  where  the  four  sacks  met  was  a  two- 
inch  auger  hole  through  which  the  rifles  were 
sighted.  Two  men  defended  each  wagon  box. 

The  next  fall  a  new  treaty  was  entered  into  with 
the  Indians,  and  the  post  at  Fort  Kearney,  which 
had  witnessed  such  a  stormy  life,  was  abandoned, 
the  troops  being  withdrawn.  The  savages  at  once 
burned  it  to  the  ground,  and  it  was  never  reoccu- 
pied.  But  even  this  concession  —  almost  open  sur- 
render—  on  the  part  of  the  Government  failed  to 
end  the  hostility  of  the  Cheyennes  and  Sioux. 


[259! 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS— THE  FIGHT  ON 
THE  ARICKAREE 

The  Tribes  Oppose  the  Building  of  the  Railroad 

THE  abandonment  of  forts,  and  the  signing  of 
treaties,  brought  no  real  end  to  hostilities  on 
the  Plains.  Wider  and  wider  the  trouble  seemed 
to  spread,  and  it  soon  became  evident  that  a  de- 
fensive alliance  existed  between  the  fighting  tribes 
east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  which  could  be  dis- 
solved only  by  actual  war.  The  necessity  of  strik- 
ing hard  blows  and  the  campaigning  over  a  broad 
section  of  territory  became  imperative.  The  build- 
ing of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  now  well  under 
way,  was  the  deep  underlying  cause  for  this  fierce 
fighting  spirit  which  had  taken  possession  of  the 
warriors  of  the  Plains.  They  were  making  their  last 
stand  before  the  advance  of  civilization,  and  it  was 
a  desperate  and  bloody  one. 

Outrages 

Immediately  after  the  withdrawal  of  troops 
from  the  abandoned  northern  forts,  bands 
of  Sioux  began  raiding  the  line  of  railroad  under 
construction,  and  overran  the  country  southward 
into  Colorado.  They  stirred  the  Arapahoes  and 

[260] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE   PLAINS 

Southern  Cheyennes  into  uniting  with  them,  and 
thus  spread  destruction  and  death  over  a  wide  ex- 
panse. A  few  of  the  more  atrocious  deeds  commit- 
ted at  this  time  will  prove  the  justification  of  the 
army  campaign  which  followed.  August  4,  two 
hundred  Cheyennes,  four  Arapahoes,  and  twenty 
Sioux  started  out  from  Pawnee  Fork.  A  few  days 
later  they  were  at  a  small  settlement  on  the  Saline, 
being  kindly  received;  and  they  repaid  that  kind- 
ness with  a  treacherous  attack.  Two  white  men 
were  killed,  and  several  women  captured  and  in- 
humanly treated.  From  here  they  crossed  to  the 
Solomon,  destroyed  the  houses,  killed  thirteen  men, 
and  ravished  all  the  women.  The  same  horrors 
were  continued  along  the  sparse  settlements  of  the 
Republican;  but  before  news  could  be  carried  to 
Fort  Harker,  the  nearest  post,  the  band  broke  up 
and  disappeared.  The  pursuing  troops  had  a  fight 
with  the  rear  guard  and  rescued  a  few  captive 
children. 

Meanwhile  the  Governors  of  both  Colorado  and 
Kansas  were  reporting  other  outrages  to  the  Wash- 
ington authorities.  Both  threatened  to  call  out 
State  troops  to  defend  their  people.  The  Indians 
attacked  settlements  within  twelve  miles  of  Den- 
ver; they  captured  and  burned  a  train  at  Pawnee 
Fork,  killing,  scalping,  and  torturing  sixteen  men; 
they  attacked  another  train  at  the  Cimarron  Cross- 
ing, and  compelled  its  abandonment.  In  one 
month,  they  killed  or  captured  eighty-four  settlers. 
Scarcely  a  day  passed  without  a  fresh  story  of  out- 

[261] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

rage.  After  laboring  in  vain  for  peace,  and  making 
earnest  efforts  to  induce  the  tribes  to  return  quietly 
to  their  reservations,  General  Sheridan,  then  com- 
manding the  Department  of  the  Missouri,  reluct- 
antly decided  that  nothing  excepting  war  would 
ever  end  the  depredations  and  massacres.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  at  once  took  the  field  in 
person.  His  first  efforts  were  to  subdue  the 
Cheyennes,  who  were  already  in  open  rebellion 
under  their  two  great  war-chiefs  Roman  Nose,  and 
Black  Kettle.  As  it  chanced,  the  first  grapple  came 
with  Roman  Nose. 

Colonel  Forsyth  and  his  Scouts 

One  of  General  Sheridan's  earliest  acts  was  to 
detail  Colonel  George  A.  ("Sandy")  Forsyth,  of 
his  staff  to  the  command  of  a  band  of  scouts,  to  be 
organized  for  this  special  campaign  from  the  ranks 
of  well-known  frontiersmen.  As  second  in  com- 
mand he  had  Lieutenant  Frederick  H.  Beecher. 
Within  five  days  the  fifty  volunteers  desired  were 
enrolled.  It  was  a  remarkable  body  of  men,  nearly 
all  veterans  of  the  Civil  War  on  one  side  or  the 
other,  and  seasoned  Plainsmen.  J.  H.  Mooers  was 
the  surgeon;  the  first  sergeant,  W.  H.  H.  McCall, 
had  commanded  a  volunteer  regiment;  and  the 
guide  was  Sharpe  Grover,  one  of  the  most  skilful 
on  the  Plains.  Their  equipment  was  simple  but 
sufficient, —  a  blanket  apiece,  saddle  and  bridle,  a 
lariat  and  picket-pin,  a  canteen,  a  haversack,  a 
butcher  knife,  a  Spencer  repeating  rifle  (seven 

[262] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE   PLAINS 

shots) ,  a  Colt's  revolver  (army  size) ,  and  a  hundred 
and  forty  rounds  of  rifle  ammunition,  and  thirty 
rounds  of  revolver  ammunition,  per  man.  The  pack 
train  was  limited  to  four  mules  bearing  camp  ket- 
tles, picks,  and  shovels,  four  thousand  extra  rounds 
of  ammunition,  some  medicine,  and  extra  rations 
of  salt  and  coffee.  Each  officer  and  man  carried 
seven  days'  cooked  rations  in  his  haversack. 

They  Follow  a  Band  of  Raiders  to  the  Arickaree 

August  29,  1868,  this  body  of  scouts  were  sent 
forward,  with  orders  to  "move  across  the  head- 
waters of  Solomon  [River]  to  Beaver  Creek,  thence 
down  that  Creek  to  Fort  Wallace."  They  com- 
pleted this  trip  without  adventure,  but  on  arriving 
at  Fort  Wallace  they  heard  of  an  attack  made  the 
evening  before,  on  a  freighter's  train  thirteen  miles 
away,  in  which  two  teamsters  were  killed.  Leav- 
ing two  of  his  men  sick  in  the  post  hospital,  Forsyth 
pressed  forward  swiftly,  hoping  to  strike  the  trail 
of  the  Indians.  This  was  picked  up,  followed  all 
one  day  and  part  of  the  next,  when  it  suddenly  dis- 
appeared, the  savages  having  scattered.  For  five 
days  the  men  scouted  in  a  wide  circle,  hoping  to 
discover  where  the  members  of  the  band  became 
united  once  more.  In  this  effort  they  were  finally 
successful,  striking  the  trail  again  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  Republican  River.  From  here  on  it  was  like 
a  beaten  road,  plainly  bearing  evidence  of  the  pass- 
age of  large  numbers.  But,  in  spite  of  expressed  ap- 
prehension on  the  part  of  some  of  the  men,  Forsyth 

[263] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

and   the  veterans  with   him   determined  to  press 
grimly  on,  anxious  for  a  fight. 

September  15,  just  before  sunset,  the  little  troop 
rode  down  through  a  ravine  into  a  valley  about 
two  miles  wide,  through  which  ran  a  little  river 
called  the  Arickaree.  They  made  camp  on  the 
south  bank.  No  Indians  had  been  seen,  but  every 
man  in  the  party  believed  them  close  at  hand,  and 
no  precautions  were  neglected.  The  bed  of  the 
river  was  about  one  hundred  and  forty  yards  wide, 
the  banks  covered  with  wild  plums,  willows,  and 
alders.  The  greater  part  of  this  river  bed,  owing 
to  lack  of  rain  at  that  season,  was  dry  and  hard,  but 
for  four  or  five  yards  about  an  island  in  the  middle 
the  water  ran  slowly  with  depth  not  exceeding  a 
foot.  This  island,  which  must  have  been  entirely 
submerged  in  time  of  high  water,  was  now  about 
twenty  yards  wide  and  sixty  yards  long,  and  its 
upper  end  arose  perhaps  two  feet  above  the 
water  level,  being  covered  with  a  thick  growth  of 
stunted  bushes;  the  lower  end  sloped  to  the  edge 
of  the  water,  and  held  one  single  cottonwood  tree. 

They  are  Besieged  on  an  Island 

The  night  passed  quietly,  the  guards  were  on  the 
alert,  and  Forsyth  made  regular  rounds  to  each 
post.  In  the  early  dawn,  a  band,  creeping  toward 
them  through  the  grass,  endeavored  to  stampede  the 
horses,  but  the  men  were  instantly  on  their  feet,  and 
drove  back  the  invaders  with  a  sharp  fire.  A  few 
moments  later,  the  command  now  drawn  up  in  line 

[264] 


A  NIGHT  ATTACK  UPON  THE  CAMP 


AN  EMIGRANT  TRAIN  PREPARING  FOR  DEFENCE 


SCENES  CHARACTERISTIC  OF  INDIAN  ATTACKS 


THE   ARMY  ON   THE   PLAINS 

ready  for  mounting,  Grover  suddenly  gave  a  cry 
of  surprise  and  pointed  down  the  valley.  It  was 
such  a  sight  as  few  white  men  have  ever  witnessed 
and  lived  to  tell  of  it.  In  front,  on  right,  and  in 
rear  the  surrounding  hills  and  valleys  seemed  fairly 
thronged  with  Indians.  They  appeared  as  if  by 
magic.  To  the  left  alone  did  there  seem  oppor- 
tunity for  escape,  but  the  very  fact  that  an  opening 
was  left  appeared  to  Forsyth  like  a  cunning  invi- 
tation to  ambush.  They  wanted  him  to  go  in  that 
direction,  and  therefore  he  instantly  decided  other- 
wise. He  saw  no  place  where  his  little  handful 
might  hope  to  stand  against  that  encircling  host, 
except  upon  the  island.  It  was  not  much  of  a  place 
for  defence,  but  it  was  the  one  strategic  spot  within 
their  reach.  They  must  save  their  ammunition;  all 
else  could  be  abandoned, —  medical  stores,  rations, 
everything,  but  not  that.  Pouring  a  heavy  fire  into 
the  Indians,  Forsyth  ordered  the  retreat  to  the 
island  under  cover  of  the  smoke.  It  was  accom- 
plished without  loss.  Protected  by  a  squad  of  ex- 
pert riflemen,  the  others  crossed  the  river  bed,  tied 
their  horses  to  the  bushes  about  the  edge  of  the 
island,  and,  dividing  into  squads,  while  some  kept 
up  a  galling  fire,  under  protection  of  which  the 
rear-guard  joined  them,  the  remainder  hastily  set 
to  work  digging  rifle-pits  in  the  sand.  They  had 
nothing  to  do  this  with  but  tin  cups,  tin  plates  and 
bowie  knives,  yet  they  managed  to  scoop  out  one 
pit  for  each  man,  so  placed  as  to  defend  the  upper, 
higher  end  of  the  island.  The  pit  Surgeon  Mooers 

[265] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

had  dug  was  a  little  wider  than  the  others,  and, 
after  walking  about  until  certain  that  all  his  men 
were  under  cover,  Forsyth  took  refuge  there. 

Finding  their  first  effort  at  surprise  had  failed, 
the  Indians  exhibited  considerable  military  skill  in 
planning  for  attack  on  the  entrenched  whites, 
Roman  Nose,  who  was  in  command,  had  with  him 
about  a  thousand  warriors.  Their  squaws  and  chil- 
dren were  sent  back  to  the  bluffs,  whence  they  could 
view  the  fight  without  danger;  then  dismounted 
braves  were  sent  forward  to  the  banks  of  the  river 
bed,  and  ordered  to  sweep  the  exposed  island  with 
rifle  fire.  As  these  banks  were  higher  than  the 
island,  the  Indian  riflemen  had  great  advantage, 
pouring  in  a  plunging  fire,  compelling  the  whites 
to  dig  deeper  and  throw  up  hasty  entrenchments 
to  rear  as  well  as  front.  At  first  the  horses  suffered 
most,  but  as  these  were  shot  down  the  bullets  began 
to  reach  the  men.  Several  of  the  scouts  were  killed, 
others  wounded,  some  mortally.  Dr.  Mooers  was 
hit  in  the  forehead,  and  although  he  remained  alive 
three  days,  was  blind  and  speechless.  Forsyth  was 
struck  three  times,  once  in  the  right  thigh,  once 
in  the  forehead,  and  a  bullet  smashed  the  bone  of 
his  leg  between  knee  and  ankle.  His  pain  was  ex- 
cruciating, but  was  borne  without  a  murmur,  and 
not  for  an  instant  did  he  fail  to  retain  command. 

They  Drive  Back  the  Indians 

Realizing  the  deadliness  of  this  rifle  fire,  Roman 
Nose  determined  to  charge  with  his  horsemen. 
Forming  them,  five  hundred  strong,  behind  the 

[266] 


THE  ARMY  ON   THE  PLAINS 

cover  of  a  bend  in  the  stream,  he  led  them  forward 
in  person,  mounted  upon  a  magnificent  chestnut 
horse.  The  warriors  behind  him  trotted  up  the 
river  bed  in  open  order,  forming  eight  ranks  and 
extending  from  bank  to  bank.  Naked,  except  for 
cartridge  belt  and  box,  riding  saddleless,  yelling 
fiercely,  their  rifles  flung  forward,  the  frenzied 
riders  dashed  on  recklessly,  being  determined  to 
sweep  that  island  with  one  headlong  charge.  But 
Forsyth  and  his  men  were  ready.  The  withdrawal 
of  the  horsemen  around  the  bend  had  been  sufficient 
warning  to  these  border  fighters  of  what  was  com- 
ing. Now  they  waited  grimly  on  their  knees,  every 
deadly  rifle  poised,  for  the  single  word  of  command. 
Forsyth,  barely  able  to  move,  pulled  himself  to  a 
sitting  posture,  so  that  he  could  see  over  the  ridge 
of  sand.  The  thunder  of  hoofs  was  almost  on  them 
when  he  shouted  "Now!"  In  one  awful  volley  the 
levelled  rifles  blazed;  again  and  again,  almost  with- 
out cessation,  the  storm  of  lead  swept  into  the  head 
of  that  advance.  Down  went  horses  and  men,  but 
they  came  on  in  a  seemingly  resistless  torrent.  Not 
until  the  sixth  volley  tore  through  those  bleeding, 
staggering,  blinded  ranks,  did  they  break  and  turn 
aside.  It  was  then  Roman  Nose  and  his  horse  went 
crashing  down,  shot  to  pieces  at  the  very  edge  of 
the  island.  Scarcely  three  feet  behind  were  his 
horsemen,  but  the  frontiersmen  poured  in  their 
seventh  volley,  and  all  who  lived  scurried  away, 
hugging  their  horses'  sides  as  they  swept  down  the 
stream  out  of  the  zone  of  fire. 

[267] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

Lieutenant  Beecher  Slain 

But  though  driven  back,  their  great  chief  killed, 
the  river  bed  strewn  with  slain,  the  Indians  were 
not  yet  defeated.  Again  their  riflemen  lined  the 
bank  and  concentrated  their  fire  on  the  island. 
Lieutenant  Beecher  was  struck,  but  succeeded  in 
dragging  himself  over  to  Forsyth  and  said  quietly, 
"I  have  my  death  wound,  General;  I  am  shot  in 
the  side,  and  dying." 

"  Oh,  no,  Beecher,  no.  It  can't  be  as  bad  as  that." 

"Yes,  good-night,"  and  he  sank  into  uncon- 
sciousness. 

At  two  o'clock  the  warriors  tried  another  charge 
of  horsemen,  but  this  time  their  rush  broke  a  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  island.  At  six  o'clock  they 
made  a  third  and  more  desperate  attempt,  some 
actually  reaching  the  pits,  but  were  hurled  back 
with  fearful  loss. 

Sufferings  of  the  Besieged 

When  nightfall  came  the  scattered  white  defend- 
ers were  able  to  count  up  their  fatalities  and  clearly 
comprehend  the  situation.  The  scene  was  one  of 
surpassing  horror.  Out  of  fifty-one  officers  and 
men  twenty- three  had  been  hurt,  six  dead  or  dying, 
and  eight  critically  wounded.  The  suffering  of  the 
injured  was  pitiful,  and,  with  no  medical  supplies, 
and  the  surgeon  dying,  the  men  were  unable  to 
aid  them.  Water  could  be  had  by  digging  down 
through  the  sand,  but  there  were  no  rations.  The 

[268] 


THE  ARMY  ON   THE   PLAINS 

men  sustained  life  by  cutting  strips  of  flesh  from  the 
bodies  of  the  dead  horses.  With  night  came  a 
heavy  rain,  and  the  scouts  dug  deeper  in  stern  prep- 
aration for  the  morrow. 

Under  the  cover  of  darkness  two  men  were  se- 
lected to  try  to  get  through  the  Indian  lines  to  Fort 
Wallace,  one  hundred  miles  away.  Every  man  able 
to  travel  volunteered  for  this  desperate  service,  but 
the  two  chosen  were  Trudeau,  a  veteran  plainsman, 
and  Jack  Stillwell,  a  lad  of  nineteen.  Taking  off 
their  boots,  and  walking  backwards  down  the  bed 
of  the  river,  they  began  their  fearful  trip,  and,  not 
until  long  days  after  did  those  comrades  left  behind 
know  their  fate,  and  the  story  of  successful  achieve- 
ment. With  the  early  morning  came  a  renewed 
attack  by  the  Indians,  who  had  expected  Forsyth 
and  his  men  to  attempt  a  retreat  during  the  night. 
This  was  easily  repulsed,  and  the  savages  settled 
down  for  a  siege,  closely  investing  the  island,  and 
keeping  up  a  constant  rifle  fire  from  the  protection 
of  the  higher  banks. 

The  men  were  now  facing  starvation.  The 
weather  was  extremely  hot,  and  the  sufferings  of  the 
wounded  were  frightful.  They  still  had  horse-flesh, 
but  it  was  rapidly  becoming  unfit  for  use.  Not  for 
an  instant  did  they  dare  relax  their  vigilance.  All 
day  long  they  lay  under  heavy  rifle  fire.  That  night 
two  other  scouts  were  sent  out  with  a  message  for 
help,  but  were  unable  to  get  through  the  Indian 
lines,  and  came  creeping  back  just  before  daybreak. 
The  third  day  dragged  along  under  the  same 

[269] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

conditions,  the  slightest  exposure  of  a  white  man 
the  signal  for  an  Indian  volley.  That  night  the  two 
message-bearers  sent  forth  succeeded  in  getting 
away  safe.  The  dawn  of  the  fourth  day  disclosed  the 
departure  of  all  the  squaws  and  children  from  the 
distant  hills,  but  the  warriors  still  remained  watch- 
ful and  eager  to  kill.  Forsyth's  wound  in  the  leg 
was  so  painful  that  he  cut  the  bullet  out  himself 
with  a  razor,  and  found  great  relief.  Men,  crawl- 
ing cautiously  about,  their  slightest  exposure  en- 
dangering their  lives,  ministered  to  the  injured  as 
best  they  could. 

Arrival  of  a  Relief  Column 

The  fifth  day  brought  them  nearly  to  the  verge 
of  despair,  for  the  horse-flesh  was  by  now  putrid 
and  unfit  to  eat.  An  unlucky  coyote  wandered  onto 
the  island  and  was  killed.  During  the  day  the 
Indian  fire  died  down ;  but  when  Forsyth  was  lifted 
up  on  a  blanket,  believing  the  savages  had  re- 
treated, a  sudden  fusilade  from  the  bank  caused 
one  of  the  men  to  drop  his  corner  of  the  blanket, 
and  the  commander  fell  upon  his  wounded  leg,  in- 
juring it  severely.  When  the  sixth  day  came,  it  was 
evident  the  Indians  had  finally  withdrawn,  al- 
though there  was  still  some  likelihood  that  they 
hoped  thus  to  lure  forth  the  little  garrison  and  am- 
buscade them  in  the  hills.  Forsyth,  however,  be- 
lieved their  disappearance  was  final,  and  he  called 
his  men  about  him.  Then  he  bade  all  those  able 
to  travel  to  start  for  Fort  Wallace,  as  it  was 

[270] 


THE  ARMY  ON   THE   PLAINS 

uncertain  whether  any  of  their  messengers  had  got 
through.  As  for  himself  and  the  other  wounded, 
they  would  have  to  stay  there  and  take  their 
chances,  until  help  arrived.  This  proposition  was 
at  first  received  in  surprised  silence,  then  with  in- 
dignant refusal  from  the  lips  of  every  man.  Not 
one  left  the  island.  For  two  days  longer,  with 
nothing  to  eat  but  wild  plums,  they  held  their  rifle- 
pits,  knowing  from  an  Indian  vedette  on  the  bluffs, 
that  they  were  under  constant  observation.  On  the 
morning  of  the  ninth  day  the  relief  column  came, 
consisting  of  Colonel  Carpenter  and  a  troop  of  the 
Tenth  Cavalry.  Forsyth's  scouts  had  fought  the 
greatest  fight  in  the  history  of  the  West. 


[271] 


CHAPTER 

THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS— THE  SURPRISE 
OF  BLACK  KETTLE 

General  Sheridan  Determines  on  a  Winter  Campaign 

THE  decisive  defeat  administered  to  Roman 
Nose's  band,  and  the  death  of  their  leader, 
ended  their  raids  as  an  armed  body.  But  Black 
Kettle  still  remained  in  the  field  with  a  much  larger 
force,  now  recruited  by  those  warriors  who  had 
survived  the  fight  on  the  Arickaree.  Moving  south- 
ward, this  force  became  the  source  of  much  trouble 
along  the  Arkansas,  and  the  Santa  Fe  Trail.  Hop- 
ing to  strike  these  savages  a  severe  and  unexpected 
blow,  General  Sheridan  decided  to  organize  a  win- 
ter campaign  against  their  villages.  Campaigning 
on  the  Great  Plains  in  winter  was  so  filled  with 
danger  that  heretofore  it  had  never  been  attempted 
by  troops  operating  in  any  considerable  number. 
The  terrible  storms  which  swept  over  the  level 
country,  as  well  as  the  difficulty  of  finding  subsist- 
ence for  animals  at  that  season,  rendered  such  an 
experiment  perilous  in  the  extreme.  Yet  it  pos- 
sessed advantages  also.  The  Indians  felt  so  abso- 
lutely safe  at  this  season  as  to  take  little  precaution 
against  surprise.  Firmly  convinced  that  no  troops 
could  operate  under  such  conditions  as  a  Western 
winter  presented,  the  savages  sought  some  secluded 
valley,  pitched  their  tepees,  and  then  rested  in 

[272] 


THE  ARMY   ON   THE   PLAINS 

security,  awaiting  the  coming  of  spring.  It  was 
knowledge  of  this  Indian  confidence  that  deter- 
mined Sheridan's  resolve,  even  against  the  advice 
of  others.  Here  was  opportunity  for  surprise,  for 
the  striking  of  a  crushing  blow  when  least  expected. 

Need  for  Speedy  Action  to  Stop  Outrages 

That  there  was  abundant  need  for  such  action 
is  evidenced  by  the  incomplete  statistics  relating 
to  Indian  outrages  in  this  department  of  the  Mis- 
souri during  the  latter  half  of  1868.  While  during 
this  period  only  eleven  Indians  were  reported  as 
having  been  killed,  and  one  wounded,  one  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  whites  were  left  dead  on  the  Plain; 
fifty-seven  wounded,  of  whom  forty-one  were 
scalped;  fourteen  women  outraged  and  later  mur- 
dered; one  man,  four  women,  and  twenty-four  chil- 
dren made  prisoners;  one  thousand,  six  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  horses,  mules,  and  cattle  stolen; 
twenty- four  ranches  or  settlements  destroyed ;  eleven 
stagecoaches  attacked;  and  four  wagon  trains  an- 
nihilated. And  this  record  is  of  settlers,  not 
soldiers.  That  the  latter  did  not  escape  unscathed 
was  shown  by  the  killing  of  Lieutenant  Kidder  and 
thirteen  men  of  the  Second  Cavalry,  while  scouting 
south  of  the  Platte. 

As  winter  came  on  reports  reached  Sheridan  that 
Black  Kettle's  band  had  gone  south  and  established 
a  permanent  winter  camp  somewhere  along  the 
Washita.  The  General  at  once  prepared  for  action. 
Establishing  supply  depots  at  Monument  Creek  in 

[273] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

southern  Kansas,  near  the  headwaters  of  the  North 
Canadian,  each  well  garrisoned  by  troops  who  were 
ordered  to  scout  thoroughly  all  the  surrounding 
country,  the  main  force  destined  to  active  opera- 
tion in  the  field  were  rendezvoused  at  the  junction 
of  Beaver  Creek  and  the  North  Canadian  River,  in 
Indian  Territory.  This  point  was  about  one  hun- 
dred miles  south  of  Fort  Dodge,  and  became  known 
as  Camp  Supply.  Here  were  consolidated  eleven 
troops  of  the  Seventh  United  States  Cavalry,  four 
companies  of  infantry,  and  a  newly  recruited  vol- 
unteer organization,  the  Eleventh  Kansas  Cavalry. 
George  A.  Custer,  Lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
Seventh,  was  assigned  to  the  command. 

Custer  Begins  his  March 

Custer  started  on  his  dangerous  march  at  four 
o'clock  the  morning  of  November  23.  The  ther- 
mometer was  below  zero,  a  foot  of  snow  on 
the  ground,  and  snow  still  falling  furiously.  To 
Sheridan's  question  as  to  what  he  thought  of  it, 
the  gallant  cavalry  leader  replied  instantly,  "It's 
all  right;  we  can  move,  the  Indians  can't."  The 
storm  as  they  advanced  increased  to  a  blizzard,  and 
the  Indian  guides  lost  their  way,  but  the  officers 
led  the  band  by  resorting  to  their  pocket  com- 
passes, and  finally  the  patient,  suffering  column 
made  camp  on  Wolf  Creek,  after  a  march  of  fif- 
teen miles.  The  heavily  laden  wagon  train  also 
succeeded  in  getting  through  the  storm,  and 
reached  camp  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  troops. 

[274] 


THE  ARMY  ON   THE   PLAINS 

The  next  morning  the  blizzard  had  somewhat 
abated,  but  the  thermometer  stood  seven  degrees  be- 
low zero,  with  eighteen  inches  of  snow  covering  the 
prairie.  All  that  day  and  the  next  the  troopers 
struggled  on  up  the  valley  of  Wolf  Creek.  By 
the  twenty-seventh  they  were  upon  the  Canadian, 
and  here  Major  Elliott,  with  three  troops,  was  sent 
on  a  scout  up  the  valley  seeking  some  Indian  trail 
as  a  guide.  The  others  put  in  several  hours'  hard 
labor  in  getting  their  wagon  train  across  the  river 
through  the  floating  ice;  but  by  eleven  o'clock  all 
were  once  more  out  upon  the  level  Plains.  Here 
one  of  Elliott's  men  joined  them  with  news  that 
he  had  discovered  the  fresh  track  of  an  Indian  war 
party,  fully  one  hundred  and  fifty  strong,  and  had 
already  followed  it  south  across  the  river. 

He  Reaches  the  Indian  Camp 

Promptly  leaving  the  slower-moving  wagon 
train  under  heavy  guard  to  follow  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible, Custer  pushed  out  with  his  remaining  cavalry- 
men to  overtake  Elliott.  Each  trooper  carried  one 
hundred  rounds  of  ammunition,  besides  coffee,  hard 
bread,  and  a  small  amount  of  forage.  The  weather 
had  moderated  somewhat,  and  the  little  column 
took  a  direct  line  across  the  open  Plain,  the  lead- 
ing troop  being  constantly  relieved  from  the  ex- 
haustive labor  of  breaking  a  passage  through  the 
deep  snow.  At  nine  o'clock  that  evening  they  made 
connection  with  Elliott,  and  the  weary  troopers  and 
their  mounts  enjoyed  an  hour's  rest  under  the  steep 

[275] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

banks  of  a  creek.  Then  they  were  at  it  again,  fol- 
lowing the  trail  by  moonlight,  the  Osages  in  ad- 
vance under  California  Joe  and  a  scout  named  Cor- 
bin.  There  was  a  feeling  throughout  the  entire 
force  that  the  hostiles  could  not  be  far  distant,  and 
every  movement  was  made  with  the  utmost  caution. 
Not  a  loud  word  was  spoken,  and  strict  orders  were 
given  the  men  against  lighting  a  match  or  smoking 
a  pipe.  Suddenly  one  of  the  Indian  scouts  reported 
that  he  smelt  fire,  and  the  column  instantly  halted 
while  the  Osages  crept  stealthily  forward  to  inves- 
tigate. Half  a  mile  ahead  a  small  camp-fire, 
recently  deserted,  yet  smouldered  in  a  bunch  of 
timber.  There  was  reason  to  believe  it  had  been 
kindled  by  Indian  boys  herding  ponies,  and  if  so 
the  village  could  not  be  very  far  away.  Again  the 
troopers  moved  silently  forward  on  the  trail,  more 
cautious  than  ever. 

The  Plan  of  Attack 

It  was  past  midnight  when,  unseen  and  unchal- 
lenged, the  half  frozen  men  were  suddenly  halted 
by  the  excited  scouts.  Out  of  the  darkness  just 
ahead  of  where  they  sat  their  horses,  sounded 
the  noise  of  a  barking  dog,  and  the  tinkling  of  a 
bell  evidently  upon  the  neck  of  some  leader  of  a 
grazing  pony  herd.  Instantly  it  was  realized  that, 
as  yet  undiscovered,  they  had  stolen  upon  the  winter 
camp  of  the  hostiles.  Custer  silently  led  his  officers 
to  a  ridge  whence  they  could  look  down  upon  the 
unsuspecting  camp  below,  now  dimly  revealed  in 

[276] 


THE   ARMY   ON   THE   PLAINS 

the  moonlight.  Stealthily  creeping  back  to  the 
waiting  troopers,  who  were  sitting  half  frozen  in 
their  saddles,  the  cavalry  leader  made  rapid  prep- 
arations for  an  attack  before  daylight.  The  entire 
command  of  eight  hundred  men  was  divided  into 
four  nearly  equal  detachments.  Two  of  these  moved 
out  at  once  to  make  a  circuitous  march  of  several 
miles  until  they  should  find  station  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  village.  They  moved  to  the  left,  and  suc- 
ceeded admirably,  creeping  within  a  short  half-mile 
of  the  sleeping  camp  undiscovered.  One  of 
the  other  detachments  turned  to  the  right  and 
found  concealment  behind  a  small  clump  of  timber, 
while  Custer  with  the  small  number  of  remaining 
troopers  held  to  the  original  position  on  the  main 
trail.  The  signal  which  was  to  send  all  these  sep- 
arate bodies  crashing  to  the  centre  was  to  be  the 
charge  blown  by  the  regimental  trumpeter  with 
Ouster's  detachment. 

Waiting  for  the  Signal  to  Charge 

For  four  long,  miserable  hours  the  men  on  the 
main  trail  waited  silently  to  give  their  comrades 
time  in  which  to  get  ready.  It  was  very  cold,  but 
the  half-frozen  troopers  were  not  allowed  to  make 
the  slightest  movement,  not  even  to  swing  their 
arms,  or  stamp  their  feet.  They  stood  like  statues, 
each  man  at  his  horse's  head,  the  capes  of  their 
overcoats  drawn  down  over  their  faces  to  protect 
them  from  the  wind.  At  the  first  gray  tinge  of 
dawn  every  trooper  was  alert  and  ready.  Over- 

[277] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

coats  were  taken  off  and  strapped  to  the  saddles, 
carbines  loaded  and  slung,  revolvers  examined,  and 
saddles  carefully  recinched.  Then  the  whispered 
command  to  mount  passed  down  the  thin  line,  and 
each  trooper  gathered  his  reins  taut  and  waited.  As 
Custer  rode  forward  to  the  top  of  the  concealing 
crest  he  saw  before  him,  in  the  dim  light  of  early 
dawn,  not  five  hundred  yards  away,  a  great  Indian 
village  stretching  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  along  the 
north  bank  of  the  Washita.  Already  wreaths  of 
smoke  were  floating  out  of  the  tops  of  some  of  the 
tepees.  As  he  gazed  a  rifle  shot  suddenly  rang  out 
from  the  other  end  of  the  camp,  and  instantly  he 
gave  the  order,  "  Sound  the  Charge." 

Black  Kettle  Slain 

As  the  piercing  blare  burst  forth,  the  marvellous 
regimental  band,  which  accompanied  them,  swung 
into  the  Seventh's  fighting-tune  of  "  Garry-Owen," 
and  the  troopers  broke  forth  into  mad  gallop,  cheer- 
ing wildly  as  they  spurred  straight  at  the  startled 
village.  Three  other  trumpets  echoed  the  first,  and 
column  after  column  dashed  from  out  their  coverts, 
riding  gallantly  for  the  tepees.  Surprised  as  they 
were,  the  Indians  rallied  to  swift,  hard,  desperate 
battle.  Almost  with  the  first  volley  Black  Kettle 
went  down  to  death,  but  his  warriors  fought  on, 
those  who  escaped  from  the  village  taking  refuge 
behind  rocks,  trees,  and  under  the  river  bank,  while 
the  others,  hidden  within  the  tepees,  fired  at  the 
charging  troops.  Little  Rock  was  the  Chief  now  in 

[278] 


SCENES  OF    INDIAN  WARFARE  ON  THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

AN  ATTACK  ON  THE  OVERLAND  STAGE  —  CUSTER's  CHARGE  ON  BLACK 
KETTLE'S  CAMP  —  THE  SCOUT'S  LAST  SHOT 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE   PLAINS 

command,  and  Custer  soon  realized  that  he  had 
serious  work  ahead  with  his  small  force.  The  num- 
ber of  Indians  seemed  constantly  to  increase,  and  it 
was  soon  learned  that  this  village  of  Black  Kettle's 
was  merely  one  of  many,  the  others  being  located 
down  the  stream,  yet  all  within  a  distance  of  ten 
miles.  All  the  hostile  tribes  of  the  southern  Plains 
—  Cheyennes,  Arapahoes,  Kiowas,  Comanches,  and 
even  some  Apaches  —  were  gathered  there  battling 
those  few  daring  troopers  of  the  Seventh. 

Ouster's  Victory 

This  overwhelming  force  soon  compelled  Cus- 
ter to  assume  the  defensive.  At  least  two  thousand 
warriors  fronted  him.  After  an  hour's  hard  fight- 
ing, during  which  the  Seventh  lost  a  number  of  of- 
ficers and  men,  and  the  Indians  had  one  hundred 
and  three  killed,  Custer  dismounted  his  men,  and 
prepared  to  resist  a  threatened  charge.  It  came 
promptly,  the  advancing  warriors  being  led  by  Lit- 
tle Raven,  an  Arapahoe,  Satanta,  a  Kiowa,  and  Lit- 
tle Rock,  a  Cheyenne.  The  troops  made  desperate 
resistance,  but  already  their  ammunition  ran  low. 
Suddenly  a  four-mule  wagon  came  dashing  reck- 
lessly through  the  Indian  lines.  The  quartermaster, 
Major  Bell,  was  driving,  and  he  had  with  him  a 
small  escort.  Before  the  startled  warriors  could 
rally  to  stop  him,  the  fiercely  galloping  mules  had 
attained  the  thin  line  of  soldiers,  and  a  fresh  sup- 
ply of  ammunition  was  passed  from  man  to  man. 
Inspired  by  this  deed  of  heroism,  with  their  cart- 

[279], 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

ridge  belts  again  filled,  the  troopers  sprang  forward 
with  an  impetuosity  which  drove  their  assailants 
headlong  down  the  valley,  Little  Rock  being  killed 
in  the  flight. 

Nothing  remained  now  for  Custer's  command 
but  to  get  away  in  as  good  order  as  possible.  About 
them  was  an  overwhelming  mass  of  savages  capable 
of  crushing  them  to  death  when  they  again  rallied 
and  consolidated.  Burning  Black  Kettle's  village, 
taking  their  captives  along,  but  turning  loose  the 
pony  herd,  the  troopers  executed  a  bold  movement. 
With  flankers  out  and  skirmishers  in  advance,  they 
rode  directly  down  the  river  toward  the  congregat- 
ing body  of  hostiles.  Seeking  to  make  these  believe 
that  the  Seventh  was  only  the  advance  of  a  much 
larger  force,  every  flag  was  unfurled  and  the  band 
ordered  to  play.  The  audacity  of  this  strange  move- 
ment struck  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the  warriors, 
and  they  broke  and  fled.  As  darkness  descended 
the  little  column  of  horsemen  turned  suddenly  aside, 
and,  striking  the  old  trail,  marched  rapidly  for 
Camp  Supply. 

Major  Elliott  and  his  Band  Surrounded  and  Slain 

During  the  heat  of  the  fight  near  the  village 
Major  Elliott,  with  Sergeant- Major  Kennedy  and 
thirteen  men  was  seen  in  close  pursuit  of  a  party  of 
Indians.  When  roll-call  came  after  the  battle  they 
were  still  missing,  and,  although  searching  parties 
were  sent  out  in  every  direction  as  far  as  it  was 
safe  to  proceed,  not  the  slightest  trace  could  be 

[280] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE   PLAINS 

found.  Not  until  the  tenth  of  the  following  De- 
cember was  the  mystery  of  their  fate  revealed. 
Then  another  campaigning  column,  again  under 
Custer's  command,  moved  along  the  valley  of  the 
Washita,  and  found  their  remains.  Custer's  report 
reads : 

"The  bodies  of  Elliott  and  his  little  band,  with  but  a  single 
exception,  were  found  lying  within  a  circle  not  exceeding  twenty 
yards  in  diameter.  We  found  them  exactly  as  they  fell,  except 
that  their  barbarous  foe  had  stripped  and  mutilated  the  bodies 
in  the  most  savage  manner.  No  words  were  needed  to  tell  how 
desperate  had  been  the  struggle  before  they  were  finally  over- 
whelmed." 

The  Story  as  Told  by  Indians 

Later  from  the  lips  of  Indians  the  story  of  that 
tragedy  was  given  fully.  Surrounded  and  cut  off 
from  all  possibility  of  rescue,  the  little  band  stood 
back  to  back,  and  died  fighting  to  the  last.  The 
one  who  lived  longest  was  Sergeant-Major  Ken- 
nedy. Wounded,  his  ammunition  exhausted,  the 
Indians  sought  to  capture  him  for  torture.  Ken- 
nedy, being  an  officer,  wore  a  sword,  and  as  a  chief 
came  forward  pretending  peace,  hoping  thus  to 
cause  the  helpless  soldier  to  surrender,  the  desper- 
ate man  suddenly  ran  him  through.  In  the  quick 
rage  of  the  warriors  Kennedy  received  twenty  bul- 
lets in  his  body,  and  thus  there  came  to  him  a  mer- 
ciful death. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS— THE  INCIDENTS 
OF  INDIAN  WAR 

Colonel  Carpenter  in  Bivouac  at  Beaver  Creek 

WHILE  the  fierce  engagements  on  the  Aricka- 
ree  and  the  Washita  took  much  of  the  war- 
like spirit  out  of  the  Plains  Indians,  there  was  little 
rest  to  the  army  on  the  frontier  during  1868-69.  I* 
was  a  continuous  campaign  winter  and  summer,  en- 
livened by  numerous  minor  but  spirited  engage- 
ments, and  individual  adventures  well  worth  the 
telling.  Three  weeks  after  the  rescue  of  Forsyth 
and  his  scouts,  Colonel  Carpenter,  who  led'  the  res- 
cuing party  on  that  occasion,  had  a  severe  battle 
on  the  banks  of  Beaver  Creek.  The  Fifth  Cavalry 
were  in  the  field  following  a  trail  discovered  near 
the  South  Fork  of  the  Republican.  A  day  or  two 
after  the  Fifth  had  disappeared,  Colonel  Carr,  who 
was  in  command  of  that  regiment  but  had  been  on 
detached  service,  reached  Fort  Wallace,  and  Car- 
penter, with  troops  H  and  I,  Tenth  Cavalry  (col- 
ored) was  ordered  to  escort  him,  until  they  made 
connection  with  the  Fifth.  They  left  Fort  Wallace 
on  the  morning  of  October  14,  and  the  next  after- 
noon went  into  bivouac  on  Beaver  Creek.  Seeing 
plenty  of  fresh  Indian  signs  as  they  advanced,  the 
little  squad  of  cavalrymen  kept  on  down  the  stream 
for  thirty  miles  without  striking  the  trail  of  those 

[282] 


THE   ARMY   ON  THE   PLAINS 

white  troopers  they  were  seeking.  There  being  no 
pack  outfits  at  Wallace,  they  were  obliged  to  carry 
their  supplies  in  wagons,  of  which  they  had  eleven, 
and  these  greatly  delayed  the  march. 

He  Repels  an  Indian  Raid 

It  was  early  on  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth 
when  a  scouting  party  under  Captain  Graham  was 
suddenly  attacked  by  Indians  who  dashed  over  a 
hill  in  their  rear.  A  hot  fight  ensued,  during  which 
the  Captain  was  wounded  and  unhorsed;  but  Car- 
penter came  forward  so  swiftly  with  reinforce- 
ments, that  the  assailants  were  driven  off.  Then  the 
entire  body  of  troops  consolidated  about  the  wagons. 
The  surrounding  Indians  increasing  in  number, 
these  wagons  were  arranged  in  double  column,  and 
started  forward  across  the  open  Plain,  where  the 
savages  could  find  no  cover.  The  advance,  Jiowever, 
was  slow,  and  the  fire  almost  continuous  until  early 
in  the  afternoon.  Then  fully  six  hundred  warriors 
massed  themselves  for  a  charge.  Realizing  what 
was  coming  Carpenter  hurried  his  teams  to  the  sum- 
mit of  a  small  knoll,  where  he  hastily  formed  a 
wagon  corral,  and,*under  that  cover,  made  effective 
defence.  The  Indians  were  driven  back  with  con- 
siderable loss,  and  finally  withdrew  without  at- 
tempting another  attack. 

Colonel    Carr    Raids    an    Indian    Village 

Colonel  Eugene  A.  Carr,  who  during  this  fight 
at  Beaver  Creek  gallantly  wielded  a  rifle  beside  the 

[283] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

» 

black  soldiers  of  Carpenter's  command,  later  led 
the  way  in  a  brilliant  attack  on  the  camp  of  Tall 
Bull  at  Summit  Springs.  Carr  had  with  him  on  this 
occasion  five  troops  of  his  own  regiment,  the  Fifth 
Cavalry,  and  was  guided  by  W.  F.  Cody  (Buffalo 
Bill).  Tall  Bull  was,  after  Black  Kettle,  the  most 
ruthless  raider  of  the  Plains.  Learning  the  loca- 
tion of  his  camp,  Carr  marched  his  men  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  in  four  days,  and  succeeded 
in  drawing  his  troopers  up  into  battle-line,  hidden 
within  a  ravine,  not  more  than  twelve  hundred 
yards  from  the  unsuspecting  village.  With  the  sound 
of  the  charge  the  impetuous  cavalrymen  swept  for- 
ward resistlessly,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  fight 
was  over.  Fifty-two  Indians,  including  Tall  Bull, 
were  killed,  and  many  horses  and  mules  captured. 
Two  captured  white  women  in  the  camp  were 
killed  before  the  troopers  could  rescue  them. 

Two   Officers   Chased  by   a   Great  Band 

In  the  Summer  of  1864  Captain  Henry  Booth, 
inspecting  officer,  and  Lieutenant  Hallowell,  Ninth 
Wisconsin  Battery,  had  an  adventure  along  the 
Santa  Fe  Trail  which  neither  was  likely  soon  to  for- 
get. They  were  inspecting  posts,  and  travelled  in  a 
light  wagon  drawn  by  a  team  of  mules.  Their  es- 
cort was  Company  L,  Eleventh  Kansas.  Reaching 
Walnut  Creek  without  sight  of  any  Indians,  the  two 
officers  despatched  their  escort  in  advance  the  next 
morning,  but  were  not  able  themselves  to  get  away 
until  three  hours  later.  They  had  driven  five  or 

[284] 


THE  ARMY  ON  THE  PLAINS 

six  miles  from  the  Walnut,  and  were  within  a  few 
hundred  yards  of  what  is  now  the  Court  House 
Square  in  the  present  city  of  Great  Bend,  when  a 
large  number  of  Indians  suddenly  appeared.  In- 
stantly the  mules  were  wheeled  about  and  started 
on  a  run  for  Walnut  Creek.  Hallowell  held  the 
reins  and  wielded  the  whip,  while  Booth  crawled  to 
the  back  of  the  wagon,  and  began  shooting  through 
a  hole  in  the  cover  at  their  pursuers.  It  was  a  wild, 
mad  race  over  the  prairie;  both  men  were  wounded, 
and  the  mules  struck  repeatedly  with  arrows.  The  lat- 
ter, thoroughly  frightened,  ran  away,  yet  Hallowell 
managed  to  guide  them  in  the  right  direction.  Time 
and  again  the  red  devils  charged  up  to  the  jump- 
ing wheels,  but  Booth's  revolver  was  always  there 
blazing  in  their  faces.  Once  they  got  so  close  that 
Hallowell  slashed  them  across  the  faces  with  his 
whip.  It  was  a  neck  to  neck  race  clear  to  the  Wal- 
nut, but  the  officers  won  it,  although  both  were  se- 
verely wounded.  Hallowell  was  compelled  to  have 
several  arrows  extracted  from  his  body. 

Skirmishes  during  the  Building  of  the  Railroads 

These  are  but  a  few  from  the  many  exciting  in- 
cidents occurring  at  this  time  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  Great  Plains.  There  were  al- 
most constant  attacks  on  wagon  trains,  and  the 
smaller  bodies  of  scouting  troops.  The  advance  of 
the  builders  of  the  Union  Pacific  and  Kansas  Pacific 
Railroads  witnessed  a  continued  series  of  skirmishes. 
The  graders  durst  not  leave  their  camps  except 

[285] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

under  armed  protection,  and  any  straggler  was  al- 
most certain  of  death,  even  in  sight  of  his  helpless 
comrades.  On  more  than  one  occasion  unfortunate 
captives  were  inhumanly  tortured  within  easy  view, 
although  beyond  rifle  range.  So  widely  scattered, 
yet  so  numerous  were  these  outrages,  that  the  com- 
plete story  can  never  be  told,  nor  is  there  satisfac- 
tory record  of  even  the  part  played  in  this  Great 
Plains  tragedy  by  the  army.  Few  of  their  fights 
reached  the  dignity  of  battle;  it  was  a  campaign  of 
hard  marches,  of  ceaseless  vigilance,  of  unending 
peril,  of  small  detachments  riding  swiftly  and  strik- 
ing fiercely  at  an  ever  scattering  foe. 

Sheridan's  Report  of  the  Second  Expedition  to  Washita 

How  the  final  result,  a  brief,  unsatisfactory 
peace,  was  attained  can  be  best  learned  from  an  ex- 
tract from  General  Sheridan's  report  made  in  No- 
vember, 1869.  I*  relates  particularly  to  the  second 
expedition  to  the  Washita,  and  reads : 

"The  snow  was  still  on  the  ground  and  the  weather  very 
cold,  but  the  officers  and  men  were  cheerful,  although  the  men 
had  only  shelter  tents.  We  moved  due  south  until  we  struck 
the  Washita,  near  Ouster's  fight  of  November  27th,  having 
crossed  the  main  Canadian  with  the  thermometer  about  eigh- 
teen degrees  below  zero. 

After  reaching  the  Washita,  my  intention  was  to  take  up 
the  trail  of  the  Indians  and  follow  it.  We  rested  one  day  and 
made  an  examination  of  the  ground ;  found  the  bodies  of  Major 
Elliott  and  his  small  party,  and  examined  the  Indian  camps  or 
villages  which  had  been  abandoned  when  General  Custer  struck 
Black  Kettle's  band.  They  extended  about  twelve  or  thirteen 
miles  down  the  river,  and  from  the  appearance  of  things  they 

[286] 


THE  ARMY  ON   THE   PLAINS 

had  fled  in  the  greatest  haste,  abandoning  provision,  robes,  cook- 
ing utensils,  and  every  species  of  property,  and  it  appeared  to  me 
they  must  have  at  least  begun  to  realize  that  winter  was  not 
going  to  give  them  security. 

"On  the  next  day  we  started  down  the  Washita,  following 
the  Indian  trail;  but  rinding  so  many  deep  ravines  and  canons, 
I  thought  we  would  move  out  on  the  divide;  but  a  blinding 
snowstorm  coming  on,  and  fearing  to  get  lost  with  a  large  com- 
mand and  trains  of  wagons  on  a  treeless  prairie  without  water, 
we  were  forced  back  to  the  banks  of  the  Washita,  where  we  at 
least  could  get  wood  and  water.  Next  day  we  continued  down 
the  river,  following  the  trail  of  the  Indians,  and  crossed  numer- 
ous ravines  by  digging  and  bridging  with  pioneer  parties.  This 
was  continued  until  the  evening  of  the  sixteenth  [December], 
when  we  came  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Indians  —  principally  Kiowas. 
They  did  not  dream  that  any  soldiers  could  operate  in  such  cold 
and  inclement  weather,  and  we  marched  down  on  them  before 
they  knew  of  our  presence  in  the  country;  after  night  they  saw 
our  fires,  and  by  means  of  relays  communicated  with  General 
Hazen,  and  obtained  a  letter  from  him  saying  that  the  Kiowas 
were  friendly.  I  had  just  followed  their  trail  from  Custer's 
battlefield,  and  a  portion  of  this  band  had  just  come  from  Texas, 
where  they  had  murdered  and  plundered  in  the  most  barbarous 
manner ;  while  in  the  previous  spring  their  outrages  on  the  Texas 
border  are  too  horrible  to  relate,  one  item  of  which  is  that,  in 
returning  to  their  villages,  fourteen  of  the  poor  little  captive 
children  were  frozen  to  death. 


"The  Cheyennes  broke  their  promise  and  did  not  come  in, 
so  I  ordered  General  Custer  to  move  against  them;  this  he  did, 
and  came  on  the  Cheyennes  on  the  head  waters  of  Red  River, 
apparently  moving  north.  It  is  possible  they  were  on  their  way 
to  Camp  Supply,  as  in  some  of  the  conversations  I  had  with 
Little  Robe  I  had  declared  that  if  they  did  not  get  into  the 
Fort  Cobb  reservation  within  a  certain  time  they  would  not  be 
received  there,  but  would  be  received  at  Camp  Supply ;  this  was 
because  I  expected  to  stay  only  for  a  limited  time  at  Fort  Cobb, 
intending  to  return  to  Camp  Supply. 

[287] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

Custer  found  them  in  a  very  forlorn  condition,  and  could 
have  destroyed,  I  think,  most  of  the  tribe,  certainly  their  villages, 
but  contented  himself  with  taking  their  renewed  promise  to  come 
into  Camp  Supply,  and  obtained  from  them  two  white  women 
whom  they  held  as  captives.  The  most  of  the  tribe  fulfilled 
this  latter  promise  so  far  as  coming  into  the  vicinity  of  Camp 
Supply  and  communicating  with  the  commanding  officer;  but 
Tall  Bull's  band  again  violated  the  promise  made,  and  went 
north  to  the  Republican,  where  he  joined  a  party  of  Sioux,  who, 
on  the  thirteenth  of  May,  1869,  were  attacked  and  defeated  with 
heavy  loss,  whereupon  the  whole  tribe  moved  into  Camp  Supply. 

"  Meantime,  while  the  Arapahoes  and  Cheyennes  were 
negotiating  with  me  to  surrender,  the  Quahrada  or  Staked  Plains 
Comanches  sent  a  delegation  over  to  Bascom,  offering  to  sur- 
render themselves,  under  the  expectation,  perhaps,  that  they  could 
get  better  terms  there  than  with  me ;  but  General  Getty  arrested 
the  delegation,  which  was  ordered  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  and 
finally  returned  to  their  people  on  condition  that  they  would 
deliver  themselves  up  on  the  reservation  at  Medicine  Bluff  or 
Fort  Sill.  This  was  complied  with,  and  I  am  now  able  to  report 
that  there  has  been  a  fulfilment  of  all  the  conditions  which  we 
had  in  view  when  we  commenced  our  winter's  campaign  last 
November  —  namely,  punishment  was  inflicted;  property 
destroyed;  the  Indians  disabused  of  the  idea  that  winter  would 
bring  security;  and  all  the  tribes  south  of  the  Platte  forced  on 
to  the  reservations  set  apart  for  them  by  the  Government,  where 
they  are  in  a  tangible  shape  for  the  good  work  of  civilization, 
education,  and  religious  instruction. 

"I  can  not  speak  too  highly  of  the  patient  and  cheerful 
conduct  of  the  troops  under  my  command;  they  were  many 
times  pinched  by  hunger  and  numbed  by  cold,  sometimes  living 
in  holes  below  the  surface  of  the  prairie  —  dug  to  keep  them 
from  freezing;  at  other  times  pursuing  the  savages,  and  living 
on  the  flesh  of  mules.  In  all  these  trying  conditions  the  troops 
were  always  cheerful  and  willing,  and  the  officers  full  of  esprit." 


[288] 


PART  III.— OCCUPATION 


CHAPTER  I 
THE  BEGINNING  OF  SETTLEMENT 

Trading-Posts  Built  on  the  Missouri 

PERMANENT  occupancy  of  this  country  of  the 
Great  Plains  can  be  dated  from  the  early  days 
of  the  fur-traders.  While  individual  traders  and 
free  trappers  were  probably  first  in  the  field,  and 
carried  their  small  packs  down  the  rivers  to  St. 
Louis,  where  they  sold  them  to  Eastern  dealers,  yet 
close  upon  their  heels  came  partnerships  and  organ- 
ized companies.  The  latter  soon  discovered  that  it 
was  far  more  profitable  to  maintain  established 
posts,  to  which  the  surrounding  Indians  might  easily 
travel  and  exchange  their  season's  catch  of  furs  for 
other  articles  of  value.  Such  posts  were  built  all 
along  the  west  side  of  the  Missouri,  and  for  some 
miles  up  those  tributary  streams  cleaving  the 
prairies  of  Kansas,  Nebraska,  and  the  Dakotas.  Dif- 
fering somewhat  in  size,  and  in  importance  of  equip- 
ment, all  these  earlier  fur-trading  establishments 
had  much  in  common.  A  few,  those  which  were 
largest  and  erected  in  the  midst  of  hostile  tribes,  or 
as  centres  for  the  supply  of  minor  posts,  were  well 
fortified,  surrounded  with  strong  palisades,  heavily 
manned  by  organized  fighting  men,  and,  in  one  or 
two  instances  in  the  warlike  Sioux  country,  even 

[289] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

surmounted  by  small  cannon.  But  the  great  majority 
consisted  only  of  a  simple  trading-store,  with  a  few 
necessary  buildings  in  which  the  employees  lived. 
Isolated  for  years  from  all  contact  with  civilization, 
and  without  even  a  visit  to  the  East,  surrounded  by  a 
savage  and  oftentimes  hostile  population,  their  en- 
vironment the  vast  Plains,  their  business  merely  bar- 
ter, the  existence  of  these  lonely  men  became  a  dull, 
colorless  routine,  relieved  only  by  such  adventures 
as  arose  from  daily  contact  with  wild  life. 

Their  Development  into  Settlements 

But  this  was  the  beginning  of  permanent  settle- 
ment, for  each  trading-post  required  employees,  the 
number  varying  with  the  importance  of  the  post. 
There  were  the  trader  and  his  clerk,  wood-cutters 
and  hay-makers,  who  were  also  boatmen  upon  occa- 
sion, probably  a  few  white  trappers  under  contract, 
with  a  worker  or  two  in  wood  and  iron.  Sometimes, 
as  at  Fort  Lisa,  opposite  Council  Bluffs,  and  some 
others  of  those  larger  posts  up  the  river,  women 
braved  the  wilderness  to  be  with  the  men  they  loved. 
Certain  posts  became  favorite  resting-places  for 
free  trappers,  while  others  had  a  large  number  of 
paid  hunters  in  their  employ.  Proper  care  for  such 
demanded  the  building  of  houses,  usually  of  logs, 
sometimes  of  earth,  or  even  stone,  and  the  gradual 
development  of  the  Indian  trading-house  into  a  gen- 
eral store,  where  white  as  well  as  red  could  find 
their  necessities.  The  requirements  of  the  frontier 
always  included  an  abundance  of  "  red  liquor,"  and 

[290] 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  SETTLEMENT 

the  hardy  dispenser  thereof  was  not  long  delayed  in 
coming  to  the  rescue  of  the  thirsty.  So,  little  by 
little,  most  of  these  earlier  trading-posts  changed 
into  ugly,  straggling  settlements,  their  inhabitants 
at  first  mere  wanderers,  the  faces  changing  with 
each  season;  as  one  disappeared  into  the  unknown, 
another  came  drifting  out  of  it  to  fill  the  vacancy. 
Roustabouts  from  the  river  boats,  tired  or  dissatis- 
fied voyageurs,  hunters  from  off  the  Plains,  ad- 
venturers, vagabonds,  the  scum  of  the  frontier,  came 
and  went,  yet  always  a  few  lingered  on  in  stolid 
content,  until  out  from  the  great  East  began  to 
arrive  those  first  daring  settlers  of  a  new  country, 
with  wives  and  children,  horses  and  ploughs,  seek- 
ing a  permanent  home  where  land  was  cheap,  and 
where  manhood  counted  for  more  than  dollars. 

The  Settlements  Become  Towns 

This  was,  in  brief,  the  story  of  the  beginning, 
the  tale  of  a  hundred  towns  now  dotting  the  western 
banks  of  the  Missouri,  or  looking  down  in  peaceful 
content  upon  the  waters  of  the  Kansas,  the  Platte, 
the  Niobrara,  and  many  another  stream  between  — 
the  Indian  trader,  the  wanderer,  the  settler;  the 
gradual  change  from  lonely  post  to  prosperous  vil- 
lage. The  later  advance  westward  was  fairly  rapid 
for  the  first  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  For  that 
distance  the  prairies  were  inviting,  the  growth  of 
grasses  and  timber  along  the  bottoms  gave  abundant 
promise  of  other  crops,  the  rainfall  seemed  suffi- 
cient, and  the  Indian  tribes  remained  peaceful. 

[291] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

Everything  in  nature  urged  the  settlers  onward  to 
possess  this  goodly  land.  Yet  they  came  in  no 
crowds,  for  there  was  still  much  vacant  country  in 
the  East.  Only  a  few,  the  more  adventurous  and 
those  loving  the  wild  frontier  life,  pressed  across 
the  wooded  hills  of  Missouri,  or  the  rolling  pastures 
of  Iowa,  to  make  settlement  on  the  untried  prairies. 
They  were  bold  hearts  who  first  found  passage  over 
the  yellow  flood,  and  established  their  homes  in  the 
heart  of  the  wilderness. 

Early  Settlers  in  Kansas  and  Nebraska 

These  first  comers  clung  close  to  the  stream  val- 
leys and  the  productive  bottom  lands.  Led  by 
prejudices  engendered  in  the  experiences  of  the 
East,  they  shunned  the  open  prairie,  holding  it  as  of 
little  value.  In  the  timber  by  the  river's  edge,  or 
in  the  midst  of  those  small  groves  common  to  the 
country,  they  built  their  log  huts,  and  led  lives  of 
privation,  hardship,  and  occasional  peril.  Yet  con- 
stantly was  this  thin  skirmish  line  advancing  still 
farther  into  the  unknown,  and  gaining  new  recruits 
from  the  East.  Travellers'  published  letters,  the 
reports  of  explorers,  private  messages  to  friends,  all 
served  to  increase  steadily  the  inflowing  tide.  Sol- 
diers whose  terms  of  service  had  made  them  familiar 
with  the  country  settled  there;  hunters,  charmed 
with  the  rare  beauty  of  this  prairie  land,  became 
permanent  residents ;  and  the  trader  was  ever  close 
at  hand  with  his  stock  of  goods. 

[292] 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  SETTLEMENT 

Organization  into  Territories 

There  was,  however,  very  little  permanent  white 
settlement  in  either  Nebraska  or  Kansas  until  after 
1854,  at  which  date  these  Territories  were  legally 
organized.  Previous  to  this  the  entire  region  had 
been  designated  merely  as  the  "Indian  country," 
and  its  population  consisted  of  little  more  than 
wandering  trappers  and  hunters,  scattered  fur- 
traders  with  their  few  employees,  and  those  men 
interested  in  the  Santa  Fe  trade.  Yet  as  soon  as 
these  Territories  were  formally  thrown  open  to  set- 
tlement, the  rush  across  the  border  began.  The 
local  census  in  1855  credits  Kansas  with  a  popula- 
tion of  8,501,  which  increased  in  five  years  to  107,- 
206.  In  Nebraska  the  growth  was  less  remarkable, 
its  population  in  1855  being  4,494,  and  in  1860,  28,- 
441.  In  both  cases  the  settlements  were  almost  to- 
tally confined  to  the  river  bottoms,  and  within  a 
comparatively  short  distance  of  the  Missouri. 

Influence  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trade  and  the  Mormon  Hegira 

The  Santa  Fe  trade  had  much  influence  on  the 
early  settlement  of  Kansas ;  and  the  Mormon  hegira, 
together  with  the  opening  of  the  Oregon  Trail,  on 
that  of  Nebraska.  The  more  rapid  development  of 
the  southern  Territory  can  also  be  traced  to  the  strug- 
gle against  slavery  bringing  to  Kansas  soil  ardent 
sympathizers  with  the  North  and  the  South,  respec- 
tively, in  the  fiercely  raging  controversy.  While 
the  main  outfitting  of  the  caravans  bound  for  Santa 

[293] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

Fe  occurred  at  Independence,  Missouri,  the  necessi- 
ties of  the  trade  early  developed  a  considerable  set- 
tlement at  Council  Grove.  This  point  was  nearly 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  west  of  the  starting 
place,  and,  being  on  the  edge  of  the  hostile  and 
perilous  Indian  country,  became  utilized  for  re- 
fitting in  final  preparation  for  the  more  serious  ad- 
vance. Here  was  a  thickly  wooded  bottom,  half  a 
mile  to  a  mile  in  width,  of  indefinite  length,  and  af- 
fording a  great  variety  of  excellent  timber.  Settlers 
found  their  way  here  at  a  very  early  date,  some  among 
them  being  skilled  workmen.  Round  Grove,  thirty- 
five  miles  from  Independence,  was  also  a  rendez- 
vous of  caravans,  and  resulted  in  a  small  settlement. 
Where  these  first  trails  were  compelled  to  cross  con- 
siderable streams  enterprising  ferrymen  quickly  es- 
tablished themselves,  and  in  a  few  years  a  store 
appeared,  with  the  rude  beginnings  of  a  village. 
Topeka  was  thus  begun  from  Papin's  Ferry. 

Squatters  along  the  Trails 

The  opening  of  the  Oregon  Trail  left  scattered 
squatters  along  its  way  beside  the  Vermilion,  the 
Blue,  and  the  Platte,  but  so  far  apart  as  to  be 
scarcely  noticeable.  These  men,  except  the  operators 
of  ferries,  lived  principally  by  hunting,  and  became 
much  like  their  red  neighbors  in  both  customs  and 
appearance.  Not  a  few  cooperated  with  the  latter 
in  raids  upon  the  passing  emigrant  trains.  The 
exodus  of  the  Mormons  along  the  Platte  Valley 
likewise  left  a  slight  population  in  favorable 

[294] 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  SETTLEMENT 

locations  along  their  route,  but  in  neither  case  were 
those  settlers  propagators  of  civilization.  They 
were  the  mere  scum  of  the  frontier,  living  from 
hand  to  mouth,  little  better  than  the  vagrants  of  the 
Plains,  with  whom  they  associated  on  terms  of  fra- 
ternity. In  nearly  every  Indian  village  were  to  be 
met  renegade  white  men. 

Degraded  Character  of  the  Early  Settlements 

The  establishment  of  stage  lines,  and  later  of  the 
Pony  Express,  compelled  the  building  of  stations  at 
certain  distances  apart  in  a  line  extending  from  the 
Missouri  River  to  the  mountains.  These  stations, 
usually  mere  shacks,  sheltered  the  station-keeper, 
the  drivers  or  express  riders,  a  few  hostlers,  and  men 
employed  in  various  capacities  by  the  company. 
The  result  was  commonly  the  growth  of  a  small  set- 
tlement, generally  with  its  low  groggery,  and  a 
gambler  or  two  to  separate  the  boys  from  their 
hard-earned  wages.  Some  of  these  stations  on  the 
Overland,  notably  that  of  Julesburg,  where  the 
Denver  division  began,  grew  into  considerable  im- 
portance, attracting  a  heterogeneous  population  of 
frontier  characters,  and  composing  a  veritable  hell. 
Drinking,  carousing,  and  promiscuous  shooting 
were  the  principal  occupations  both  day  and  night, 
and  very  few  women  of  respectability  were  to  be 
found  there. 

That  mere  ability  as  bar-room  fighters  did  not 
necessarily  mean  the  possession  of  true  courage  was 
more  than  once  proven  in  the  history  of  Julesburg. 

[295] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

On  one  occasion  when  the  town  was  harassed  by  In- 
dians, an  old  soldier  managed  to  gather  together  a 
hundred  of  these  desperate  frontiersmen  in  an  effort 
to  drive  back  the  marauding  warriors.  They  started 
forth  full  of  whiskey  and  bloodthirsty  threats,  and 
by  some  miracle  were  even  brought  within  sight  of 
the  Indian  encampment.  But  by  that  time  they 
were  out  of  both  whiskey  and  courage.  Their 
leader  gave  the  word  to  charge,  and  spurred  for- 
ward. Hearing  no  sound  of  hoofs  behind,  he 
glanced  back,  only  to  discover  his  gallant  band 
scurrying  away  in  every  direction.  There  being  no 
other  course  possible,  the  disgusted  soldier  turned 
and  followed  them. 

During  the  earlier  years,  previous  to  the  Ter- 
ritorial act,  not  a  few  Missourians  crossed  the 
border  and  took  squatter's  possession  of  land  in  east- 
ern Kansas,  occasionally  arriving  in  organized  com- 
panies. Numerous  churches  of  the  east  despatched 
missionaries  to  this  far  frontier,  but  their  efforts 
were  principally  directed  to  the  Indian  tribes  close 
to  the  Missouri.  The  Government  established  sev- 
eral garrisoned  posts  along  that  river,  the  most  im- 
portant being  old  Fort  Kearney,  on  the  present  site 
of  Nebraska  City.  Other  posts,  Forts  Leaven- 
worth,  Scott,  and  Riley  were  erected  farther  out  in 
what  was  yet  known  as  the  "  Great  American  Des- 
ert," which  was  believed  to  be  utterly  useless  from 
an  agricultural  standpoint. 


[296] 


THE   BEGINNING  OF  SETTLEMENT 

Discovery  of  Gold  in  Colorado 

In  1858  the  discovery  of  gold  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains  led  to  some  slight  settlement  on  the  west- 
ern edge  of  the  Plains  bordering  the  foot-hills. 
While  the  miners  flocked  to  the  gulches  of  the  great 
range,  some  there  were  who  found  profitable  occu- 
pation in  the  cultivation  of  supplies  for  the  camps, 
along  the  valleys  of  the  streams  flowing  eastward. 
These  farmers  were  to  be  found  at  Pueblo  on  the 
Arkansas,  along  the  banks  of  Cherry  Creek,  and  on 
the  present  site  of  Colorado  City.  About  this  time 
the  city  of  Denver  was  begun ;  one  William  McGaa 
building  the  first  stockade,  and  William  Larimer 
erecting  the  first  house.  This  was  a  log  cabin,  16 
by  20  feet,  having  an  earthen  floor.  It  stood  near 
the  corner  of  what  is  now  Larimer  and  Fifteenth 
Streets.  There  were  in  1858  five  women  in  Denver. 
In  the  Spring  of  1859  a  number  of  farmers  began 
operations  in  the  rich  Arkansas  bottoms.  Corn  was 
then  worth  from  five  to  fifteen  cents  a  pound,  and  a 
successful  crop  was  as  valuable  as  a  gold  mine. 
Uniting  together,  these  farmers  constructed  an  irri- 
gating ditch  from  the  Fontaine-qui-Bouille  over 
their  fields,  and  planted  corn.  When  this  had 
reached  a  good  size,  already  waving  temptingly  in 
the  wind  and  sun,  a  company  of  disgusted  Missouri 
prospectors  on  their  way  back  East,  made  camp 
near  Fontaine  City,  and  foraged  their  lean  and  hun- 
gry cattle  on  the  green  blades  and  juicy  stalks.  The 
farmers  remonstrated,  but  the  Missourians  outnum- 

[297] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

bered  them,  and  only  laughed.  There  followed  a 
fight,  in  which  some  of  the  Missourians  were  killed, 
and  several  on  both  sides  wounded.  The  victory, 
however,  was  with  the  farmers. 

Developing  of  Freighting  in  Colorado 

This  rapid  populating  of  Colorado  resulted  in 
a  continuous  stream  of  freighting  across  the  Plains, 
but,  outside  of  these  narrow  lines  of  communica- 
tion, it  led  to  no  settlement  in  all  that  wide  expanse 
of  level  desolation.  The  freight  trains  of  Russell 
and  Majors  dragged  their  winding  length  along  the 
Arkansas,  or  Smoky  Hill  route  day  after  day,  bring- 
ing cargoes  of  goods,  which  were  stored  at  their 
depots  and  sold  to  retail  merchants.  Thousands  of 
wagons  stretched  also  in  continuous  line  along  the 
valley  of  the  Platte,  mail  facilities  were  introduced, 
and,  as  early  as  1859,  stage-coaches  were  running 
on  regular  schedules  to  Leavenworth.  A  branch  of 
the  Pony  Express  operated  from  Julesburg. 

Settlers  Restrained  by  the  Hostility  of  the  Sioux 

Farther  north,  in  the  Dakotas  and  Wyoming, 
few  signs  of  permanent  settlement  were  to  be  per- 
ceived so  early.  The  continued  and  almost  con- 
stant hostility  of  the  various  tribes  of  the  Sioux 
nation,  together  with  the  unattractive  appearance 
of  the  country,  conspired  to  restrain  settlers.  The 
fact  that  no  great  highway  traversed  the  Plains  of 
Dakota  also  made  its  advantages  less  known.  The 
fur-traders  still  held  to  their  forts  along  the  Mis- 

[298] 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  SETTLEMENT 

souri  and  tributary  streams,  and  some  prospecting 
had  been  undertaken  in  the  Black  Hills  with  indif- 
ferent success.  The  first  permanent  settlement  was 
made  at  Sioux  Falls  in  1856,  and  a  year  later  a  few 
farmers  came  in  along  the  valley  of  the  Missouri. 
Travelled  over  by  thousands  on  their  journey  to 
Oregon  or  California,  Wyoming  remained  a  primi- 
tive wilderness,  its  sole  signs  of  settlement  a  few 
fur-trading  posts.  Nothing  served  to  halt  the  multi- 
tude, and  while  a  few  may  have  idled  along  the 
way,  there  was  no  permanent  population  worthy  of 
notice. 

This,  then,  was  the  condition  of  the  Great  Plains 
when,  in  1854,  Kansas  and  Nebraska  were  made 
Territories,  and  legally  thrown  open  to  settlement. 
Across  the  broad  expanse  stretched  well  used  trails, 
along  which  freighting  wagons  toiled  westward  to 
the  mountains,  or  emigrant  trains  crawled  on  their 
long  journey  to  the  Pacific.  The  vast  interior  was  yet 
scarcely  known,  touched  here  and  there  by  solitary 
trappers,  or  scouted  over  by  squads  of  hard- 
riding  troopers,  it  yet  remained  an  unexplored  wil- 
derness, the  domain  of  wild  animals  and  wild  men. 
A  slight  fringe  of  early  white  settlements  began  to 
show  along  the  eastern  river  courses;  a  little  later 
adventurous  miners  swarmed  through  the  gulches 
of  the  Rockies,  but  all  between  stretched  the  lonely 
desolation  which  the  geographers  yet  called  the 
"  Great  American  Desert." 


[299] 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  STRUGGLE  IN  EASTERN  KANSAS 

Pro-Slavery  Men  from  Missouri  Settle  in  Kansas 

WITH  the  opening  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska 
country  to  settlement  came  border  war.  The 
question  whether  slavery  should  be  admitted  or 
abolished  within  the  limits  of  these  newly  created 
Territories  being  left  to  a  vote  of  the  citizens,  the 
advocates  of  North  and  South  began  at  once  to  pre- 
pare for  the  inevitable  struggle.  The  close  proximity 
of  Missouri,  a  slave-holding  State,  gave  to  that 
party  in  the  controversy  a  decided  advantage.  They 
were  nearest  to  the  field  of  action.  Even  before  the 
country  had  been  formally  opened,  thousands  had 
crossed  the  line  and  taken  up  squatter  residence  in 
the  rich  bottom  lands  of  the  prairie.  Others  im- 
mediately followed,  and  by  June,  1854,  these  trans- 
planted Missourians  were  already  meeting  in  con- 
vention to  adopt  resolutions  looking  to  the  forming 
of  Kansas  into  a  slave  State. 

But  their  opponents  were  not  idle.  All  through 
the  Northeastern  States  the  feeling  against  a  fur- 
ther spreading  of  slavery  was  intense.  Emigrant 
Aid  Associations  were  organized,  and  large  num- 
bers of  emigrants  were  sent  forth  under  their  aus- 
pices, to  settle  in  Kansas,  for  the  express  purpose  of 
keeping  that  Territory  free.  Then  men  went  west- 
ward with  rifles  and  ammunition,  expecting  to  fight, 

[300] 


STRUGGLE  IN  EASTERN  KANSAS 

but  believing  firmly  in  the  justice  of  their  cause. 
They  went  as  settlers,  taking  with  them  their  wives 
and  children,  yet  animated  by  the  feeling  that  they 
were  soldiers  volunteering  in  a  righteous  cause. 
Their  wagons  were  piled  high  with  household  goods, 
and  driven  by  stern-faced  men,  who  came  to  fight 
the  battle  of  freedom.  It  was  the  beginning  of  the 
end  —  the  first  clash  in  a  great  war  between  right 
and  wrong,  destined  to  terminate  years  later  at 
Appomattox. 

The  Founding  of  Leavenworth,  Atchison,  and  Lawrence 

The  first  attempt  at  founding  a  town  was  made 
at  Leavenworth,  about  the  middle  of  June,  1854. 
Of  the  thirty-two  persons  interested  some  were  pro- 
slavery,  and  some  were  free-State  men,  and  the  po- 
litical character  of  the  place  has  ever  since  been 
greatly  mixed.  In  July,  Atchison  was  laid  out,  and 
for  several  years  was  violently  pro-slavery,  and  the 
centre  of  operations  for  all  dwellers  in  the  Terri- 
tory holding  those  sentiments.  The  same  month 
anti-slavery  men  established  a  settlement  on  Back 
Bone  Ridge,  which  later  became  Lawrence.  It  was 
born  under  difficulty,  the  first  meeting  being  dis- 
persed by  an  invasion  of  border  ruffians,  as  the  Mis- 
souri invaders  were  called.  But  the  first  company 
of  free-Staters,  thirty  in  number,  was  soon  rein- 
forced by  sixty  or  seventy  more.  The  infant  city 
constantly  grew,  being  known  at  different  times  as 
Waukarusa,  New  Boston,  and  to  the  Missourians  as 
Yankee  Town,  until  the  name  of  Lawrence  was 

[301] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 


finally  adopted.  The  earlier  colonists  dwelt  in 
tents,  but  as  winter  approached  they  built  rude 
houses,  either  log  or  pole  or  thatch. 

The  tide  of  emigration  from  the  free  States  con- 
stantly increased,  being  continually  instigated  by 
agitation.  They  spread  back  over  the  prairies  for 
considerable  distances,  making  homes  in  choice 
neighborhoods.  They  were  there  to  stay.  While 
some  of  the  Missourians  became  permanent  resi- 
dents, the  majority  came  into  the  country  merely 
to  create  trouble,  passing  back  and  forth  across  the 
line,  making  little  effort  at  permanent  settlement. 
Topeka  was  started  by  a  small  party  in  December, 
but  did  not  exceed  twenty-five  inhabitants  during 
the  year.  The  fourth  company  from  New  England 
chose  the  present  site  of  Manhattan.  Grasshopper 
Falls  was  also  an  early  settlement  of  free-State  men. 

Societies  Organized  to  make  Kansas  a  Slave  State 

By  the  Autumn  of  1854  all  eastern  Kansas  was 
practically  in  a  state  of  guerilla  war.  Throughout 
the  Missouri  border  counties  secret  societies  were 
organized  with  the  avowed  object  of  extending  slav- 
ery into  Kansas.  The  members  wore  a  bit  of  ribbon 
in  the  buttonhole  to  make  them  known  to  their  fel- 
lows, and  used  passwords.  These  various  organiza- 
tions operated  under  different  names, — Blue  Lodge, 
Social  Band,  Friends'  Society,  Sons  of  the  South, — 
but  were  all  closely  affiliated  for  the  one  purpose. 
Their  general  plan  was  to  run  out  all  free-State  men 
from  the  country;  to  keep  an  armed  force  always 

[302] 


STRUGGLE  IN  EASTERN  KANSAS 

ready  for  invasion,  and  to  furnish  enough  voters  at 
every  Kansas  election  to  overcome  the  actual  set- 
tlers. But,  in  spite  of  all  such  efforts,  the  free-State 
emigration  into  Kansas  constantly  increased,  and  the 
men  coming  were  of  the  kind  to  fight  fiercely  for 
their  rights  either  with  ballots  or  rifles. 

The  struggle  opened  with  the  cowardly  seizure 
of  several  settlers,  including  Thos.  A.  Minnard  and 
the  Rev.  Frederick  Starr,  by  bands  of  border  ruf- 
fians, on  the  sole  charge  that  they  were  abolitionists. 
Some  of  these  were  openly  whipped,  and  others 
driven  forcibly  out  of  the  country.  With  threats, 
and  a  display  of  armed  force,  the  first  settlers  at 
Lawrence  were  ordered  not  to  stop  there,  but  the 
free-State  men  retaliated,  and  the  Missourians  re- 
tired without  firing  a  shot.  For  a  time  the  contest 
for  supremacy  shifted  to  the  polls,  and,  with  the 
approach  of  election  day,  hordes  of  Missourians 
overran  the  country,  intimidating  the  widely  scat- 
tered free-State  settlers,  and  in  many  places  actually 
driving  their  opponents  from  the  polls,  themselves 
voting  as  often  as  was  deemed  necessary.  In  this  way 
the  pro-slavery  cause  won  what  was  then  held  to  be 
a  great  victory,  the  whole  border  ringing  with  ac- 
clamations, and  with  denunciation  of  the  defeated 
abolitionists. 

Success  at  the  polls  gave  to  the  pro-slavery  party 
new  courage  and  confidence.  This  led  almost  im- 
mediately to  acts  of  violence.  The  first  of  these 
mob  outrages  occurred  in  Parkville,  where  a  free- 
State  printing  press  was  seized  and  thrown  into  the 

[303] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

Missouri  River.  Several  of  the  Missouri  secret 
societies  adopted  resolutions  against  allowing  any 
ministers  from  the  free  States  to  preach  in  Kansas, 
and  threatening  dire  results  if  they  dared  persist. 
Prominent  free-State  men  were  ordered  to  leave 
the  country,  and  when  they  refused  to  be  intimidated 
they  were  visited  by  a  mob  and  treated  brutally. 
Throughout  all  the  eastern  counties  of  Kansas  the 
people  lived  over  a  volcano  which  might  burst  forth 
at  any  moment. 

Holloway,  in  his  "  History  of  Kansas,"  thus  pic- 
tures the  two  different  elements  in  the  community: 

"The  pro-slavery  men,  Impetuous,  aggressive,  and  overbear- 
ing sought  by  all  possible  means  to  embroil  the  opposite  party 
into  difficulties.  The  free-State  men,  cool,  prudent,  and  saga- 
cious, as  harmless  as  doves  and  as  wise  as  serpents,  acted  entirely 
upon  the  defensive,  and  avoided,  as  much  as  possible,  all  troubles. 
The  former  were  blustering  and  mercenary,  the  latter  quiet  and 
unobtrusive.  The  former  claimed  as  their  right  the  very  thing 
which  had  been  referred  to  the  decision  of  the  ballot-box;  the 
latter  only  claimed  the  right  which  their  Government  guaran- 
teed them,  of  assisting  to  give  shape  to  that  decision.  The  one 
was  wild  with  excitement,  blinded  by  prejudice,  rough  and  pro- 
fane, supported  by  the  adjoining  State,  strong  in  numbers  and 
wealth ;  the  other  quiet,  intelligent,  refined,  and  devotional,  were 
far  removed  from  friends,  liable  to  be  crushed  at  any  moment 
by  the  furious  and  threatening  ruffians  of  the  border.  The 
press  of  one  sent  forth  slang,  vituperation,  misrepresentation, 
and  inflammatory  appeals,  fit  fuel  for  civil  war;  that  of  the 
other  denounced  all  acts  of  violence,  and  appealed  to  men's 
better  natures  to  abstain  from  engendering  strife." 

Triumph  of  the  Pro-Slavery  Men 

Finally,  through  the  forced  resignation  of  Gov- 
ernor Reeder,  and  the  carrying  of  elections  by  the 

[304] 


STRUGGLE  IN  EASTERN  KANSAS 

importation  of  illegal  voters  from  Missouri,  the 
pro-slavery  advocates  obtained  complete  control  of 
the  Territorial  Government.  Not  a  single  free- 
State  man  was  left  in  the  Legislature,  which  pro- 
ceeded to  enact  laws  most  repulsive  and  obnoxious 
to  the  vast  majority  of  the  real  settlers.  Arrogant 
and  domineering,  the  victors,  through  fraud  and  in- 
timidation and  violence,  proceeded  to  add  insult  to 
injury.  " Never  in  the  history  of  the  world"  says  a 
writers  of  those  times,  "even  in  days  when  might 
made  right,  were  there  such  barefaced  and  audaci- 
ous acts  of  civil  oppression  inflicted  upon  a  com- 
munity." The  Legislature  was  all-powerful;  it  ap- 
pointed State  and  county  officers,  levied  taxes,  and 
gagged  the  free  men  and  the  free  press. 

Revolt  of  the  Anti-Slavery  Men 

In  this  emergency  the  free-State  men  seem  to 
have  acted  with  deliberation  and  dignity.  They  held 
a  number  of  mass  meetings,  in  which  some  violent 
speeches  were  made,  although  the  general  spirit  ap- 
peared conciliatory.  The  second  Governor  of  the 
Territory,  Wilson  Shannon,  of  Ohio,  finding  upon 
arrival  that  all  legislative  power  was  already  in  the 
hands  of  the  pro-slavery  party,  and  being  himself 
a  Democrat  of  the  old  school,  very  naturally  came 
under  the  influence  of  the  Missourians.  The 
acknowledged  leader  of  this  side  during  the  greater 
part  of  these  border  difficulties  was  a  man  of  real 
strength  and  conviction,  David  R.  Atchison,  for- 
merly United  States  Senator  from  Missouri.  In 

[305] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

political  manipulation,  the  handling  of  men,  the 
inflaming  of  passion,  and  the  daring  intimidation 
of  opponents,  he  was  a  past  master. 

Finding  the  ordinary  road  to  reform  blocked 
by  fraud  and  violence,  the  ballot  boxes  and  all  law- 
making  power  in  the  hands  of  their  enemies,  the 
free-State  settlers  resorted  to  the  expedient  of  openly 
ignoring  all  acts  of  legislation  passed  by  the  pro- 
slavery  House  of  Representatives.  They  utterly 
discarded  all  courts,  justices,  probate  judges,  and 
registers.  Meeting  at  Topeka  they  drew  up  an 
amateur  Constitution,  and  began  to  live  independ- 
ently under  its  provisions. 

This  open  revolt  must,  of  necessity,  lead  to  an 
early  clash  between  the  partisans.  Hatred  grew, 
and  particularly  were  the  passions  of  pro-slavery 
men  directed  toward  that  offensive  hotbed  of  abo- 
litionism, the  town  of  Lawrence.  The  story  of  the 
bloodshed,  the  skirmishes,  the  battles,  and  the  mid- 
night assassinations  in  those  months  which  followed 
cannot  be  related  here  in  detail.  From  the  historical 
standpoint  many  of  these  scenes  of  violence  and 
hatred  have  little  value,  even  though  logically  con- 
nected with  the  solution  of  a  great  question  to  be 
finally  decided  by  the  mightiest  war  of  modern 
times.  Here  was  the  preliminary  struggle  fought 
out  amid  the  loneliness  of  the  Kansas  prairies,  while 
personal  hatred  and  party  animosity  ofttimes  hid 
the  real  issue,  and  turned  war  into  assassination,  and 
changed  battle  to  massacre.  Neither  side  can  be 
absolved  of  wrong;  the  spirit  of  mercy  seldom 

[306] 


STRUGGLE  IN  EASTERN  KANSAS 

hovered  over  the  contending  camps  of  pro-slavery 
and  free-soil  advocates ;  it  was  a  contest  of  gueril- 
las, merciless,  revengeful,  fought  out  in  the  brush  by 
the  light  of  burning  homes,  and  amid  the  agony  of 
the  innocent.  On  whichever  side  our  sympathies 
may  be,  in  horror  we  must  turn  away  ashamed  of 
the  atrocities  wrought  by  the  rifle  and  the  torch  un- 
der the  cloak  of  virtue.  Scarcely  a  foot  of  eastern 
Kansas  but  was  soaked  with  blood,  and  the  names 
of  obscure  fields  of  strife  are  legion. 

John  Brown's  Voice  is  for  War 

The  resort  to  arms  may  be  said  to  have  begun  in 
a  claim  dispute  at  Hickory  Ridge,  ten  miles  south 
of  Lawrence,  November  21,  1855,  where  a  pro- 
slavery  squatter  named  Coleman  assassinated  a 
young  f  ree-soiler,  Charles  M.  Dow.  As  a  result  of 
this  affair  the  entire  country  seemed  to  gather  into 
hostile  camps.  There  were  several  skirmishes,  and 
finally  the  pro-slavery  men  besieged  Lawrence, 
within  which  some  six  hundred  free-soilers  had  en- 
trenched themselves.  Finally,  through  the  efforts 
of  Governor  Shannon,  the  invading  horde  of  Mis- 
sourians,  who  composed  the  major  part  of  the  pro- 
slavery  forces,  were  induced  to  withdraw.  By  the 
majority  of  the  free-State  party  this  was  hailed  as 
a  notable  victory,  but  among  their  orators  there  was 
one  who  protested  vigorously.  Spring  writes: 

"A  single  voice  was  raised  in  solemn  and  public  protest 
against  the  peace.  After  the  treaty  and  its  stipulations  had 
become  known;  after  speeches  of  felicitation  on  the  happy  sub- 

[307] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

sidence  of  perils  that  threatened  to  engulf  the  settlement  in  ruin 
had  been  made,  an  unknown  man  —  tall,  slender,  angular ;  his 
face  clean  shaven,  sombre,  strongly  lined,  of  Puritan  tone  and 
configuration;  his  blue-gray  eyes  honest,  inexorable;  strange, 
unworldly  intensities  enveloping  him  like  an  atmosphere  — 
mounted  a  dry-goods  box,  and  began  to  denounce  the  treaty 
as  an  attempt  to  gain  by  foolish,  uncomprehending  makeshift 
what  could  be  compassed  only  by  the  shedding  of  blood.  Since 
that  day  the  name  of  this  unknown  man,  plucked  down  from 
the  dry-goods  box  with  his  speech  mostly  unspoken,  has  filled 
the  post-horns  of  the  world  —  old  John  Brown." 

The  Winter  of  1855-56  was  a  most  severe  one, 
and  the  consequence  was  a  temporary  peace  between 
the  warring  factions.  But  rumors  of  an  expected 
invasion  by  the  Missourians  in  the  spring  were  scat- 
tered broadcast,  and  they  intensified  the  prevailing 
bitterness.  A  sheriff  named  Jones,  who  had  been  a 
moving  spirit  in  the  last  affair,  started  the  spring 
outbreak,  by  an  endeavor  to  arrest  several  leading 
free-soilers  at  Lawrence.  Jones  was  promptly  shot, 
but  not  killed,  and  once  again  Lawrence  became  the 
centre  of  turmoil,  the  town  being  attacked  by  a  mob 
of  avenging  pro-slavery  men,  thoroughly  sacked, 
and  many  of  the  prominent  citizens  arrested  and 
driven  out  of  the  country.  Atchison,  who  was  in 
command,  urged  moderation,  and  his  counsel  pre- 
vented bloodshed,  although  the  destruction  of  prop- 
erty was  great. 

Brown  takes  a  Mean  Revenge 

The  burning  and  sacking  of  Lawrence  instantly 
aroused  in  the  scattered  free-State  men  a  fierce  de- 

[308] 


STRUGGLE  IN  EASTERN  KANSAS 

sire  for  retaliation.  Everywhere  they  rallied  under 
arms.  The  first  act  of  revenge  was  utterly  without 
justification;  it  remains  a  blot  on  the  free-State 
cause  and  on  the  name  of  old  John  Brown,  who  was 
concerned  in  it.  This  was  a  foray  from  the  free-soil 
settlement  of  Ossawatomie  to  a  place  known  as 
Dutch  Henry's  Crossing,  where  a  company  of  pro- 
slavery  raiders  had  been  in  camp.  Only  seven  or 
eight  men,  besides  Brown,  were  in  the  expedition. 
The  raiders  having  already  departed,  these  men  de- 
cided to  put  out  of  the  way  certain  pro-slavery  squat- 
ters in  the  neighborhood.  It  was  cowardly  night 
work,  but  when  day  dawned,  the  assassins  rode  back 
to  Ossawatomie,  leaving  behind  them,  hacked  and 
slashed  with  cutlasses,  the  corpses  of  five  men.  No 
justification  for  this  act,  worthy  of  consideration, 
has  ever  been  advanced  even  by  Brown's  most 
ardent  admirers,  while  his  own  statements  were  so 
evasive  as  to  deceive  his  most  intimate  friends.  Yet 
there  may  have  been  a  reason  satisfying  his  con- 
science which  the  world  will  never  know.  The 
result  was  a  fresh  invasion  of  Missourians,  and  a 
concentration  of  pro-slavery  forces  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Ossawatomie,  which  led  to  armed  fighting. 
Palmyra  and  Prairie  City  were  raided  by  a  band  in 
camp  at  Black  Jack,  but  this  body  was  fiercely  at- 
tacked by  a  party  of  free-soilers  under  Brown,  and 
the  leader,  Pate,  and  most  of  his  followers  were  cap- 
tured. A  pro-slavery  trader  at  St.  Bernard  was  also 
made  prisoner,  and  his  stock  of  goods  confiscated. 

[309] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

Guerilla  Warfare 

Parties  favoring  both  sides  now  took  the  field, 
and  guerrilla  fighting  swept  the  full  length  of  the 
border,  United  States  troops  endeavoring  vainly  to 
interfere  between  the  belligerents.  The  pro-slavery 
men  were  forced  sullenly  back,  and  for  a  time  de- 
voted all  their  energies  in  an  effort  to  stop  further 
immigration  from  the  free  States.  Finding  their 
efforts  at  obstruction  useless,  the  thoroughly  mad- 
dened Missourians  once  again  took  up  their  rifles 
for  the  invasion  of  Kansas.  But  in  the  meantime 
new  settlers  had  been  pouring  in,  animated  by  the 
principle  of  free-soil,  and  ready  to  defend  it  with 
their  lives.  Yet  Missouri  was  the  natural  gateway 
to  the  country,  and  the  bitterness  along  the  border 
resulted  in  a  considerable  cutting  off  of  supplies,  so 
that  many  of  the  free-State  towns  were  practically 
blockaded.  Robbery  and  pilfering  were  daily  oc- 
currences, and  murder  was  not  infrequent.  Tecum- 
seh  and  Lawrence  were  the  greatest  sufferers. 
Franklin  was  the  scene  of  a  fierce  battle;  and  the 
free-State  men,  being  victorious,  pushed  on  toward 
Lecompton,  where  they  had  a  hot  skirmish  and  cap- 
tured Fort  Titus.  For  the  time  being  the  fortunes 
of  war  seemed  with  the  free-State  party,  but  the 
pendulum  swung  about  evenly;  attack  and  defence, 
advance  and  retreat,  became  the  regular  order,  each 
adventure  costing  new  lives  and  adding  to  the  bitter- 
ness between  factions. 

As  though  in  actual  war,  there  was  an  exchange 
of  prisoners,  Governor  Shannon  conducting  nego- 

[310] 


STRUGGLE  IN  EASTERN  KANSAS 

tiations  on  one  side,  and  a  committee  from  the  To- 
peka  convention  on  the  other.  The  added  contro- 
versy growing  out  of  this  act  resulted  in  Shannon's 
resignation.  In  after  years  he  thus  forcefully 
summed  up  the  situation:  "  Govern  the  Kansas  of 
1855  and  '56?  You  might  as  well  have  attempted 
to  govern  the  devil  in  hell."  For  it  was  now  the 
pro-slavery  turn  of  the  wheel,  and  Ossawatomie  the 
point  of  attack.  Here  old  John  Brown  was  driven 
out,  but  not  without  a  fight,  in  which  six  free-State 
men  were  killed,  including  two  of  his  own  sons,  and 
the  buildings  burned  to  the  ground.  In  retaliation 
the  f ree-soilers  rallied  and  invested  Lecompton,  but 
were  dispersed  without  battle. 

Governor  Geary  Attempts  to  End  the  War 

John  W.  Geary,  of  Pennsylvania,  became  the 
new  Governor.     In  the  words  of   Spring,   he  — 

"stepped  into  the  border  tumult  with  the  assertive  bearing  of 
a  Titan.  Superb,  and  not  wholly  misplaced,  was  his  self- 
confidence.  That  he  did  not  idealize  the  situation  is  clear,  as  he 
took  pains  to  say  that  it  could  not  be  worse.  Not  only  did  he 
fully  anticipate  success,  but  the  very  desperation  of  affairs  fas- 
cinated him.  After  ten  weeks  in  the  Territory  he  wrote,  *I  am 
perfectly  enthusiastic  in  my  mission.'  " 

And  it  is  fair  to  say  that  he  started  well ;  but  he  was 
dealing  with  antagonistic  elements  which  probably 
no  man  could  have  controlled  without  almost  un- 
limited military  power.  Anarchy,  revolt,  and  chaos 
were  everywhere;  every  man  carried  arms,  neigh- 
bors distrusted  each  other,  and  many  bands  roamed 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

the  country  with  no  higher  purpose  than  plunder. 
Missourians  in  armed  bodies  kept  pouring  across 
the  border,  and  neither  inaugurals,  proclamations, 
nor  military  orders  were  able  to  halt  them.  There 
was  fierce  fighting  all  along  the  line,  but  generally 
centring  in  and  about  Lawrence;  and  every  raid  by 
pro-slavery  men  found  its  echo  in  some  outrage  per- 
petrated by  the  advocates  of  free-soil.  It  becomes 
wearisome  to  attempt  even  to  name  the  multitude  of 
skirmishes,  the  midnight  assassinations,  the  repeated 
advances  and  retreats,  of  the  scattered  bodies  of  par- 
tisans. After  six  months  of  desperate  effort  to  stem 
the  tide  Geary  fled  in  defeat  to  Washington. 

The  Contestants  Becoming  Tired,  Order  is  Established 

His  successor  was  Robert  J.  Walker,  also  a 
Pennsylvanian,  an  experienced,  smooth-tongued 
politician.  Convention  followed  convention,  with 
plenty  of  rifle  practice  between,  and  finally  an  elec- 
tion in  which  the  free-State  party  were  victorious. 
In  the  turmoil  which  followed,  Walker  fled  the 
country,  and  General  John  W.  Denver,  a  Virginian, 
was  sent  forth  as  the  next  victim.  Politics  continued 
hot,  but  the  contestants  being  somewhat  tired  out  by 
continuous  war,  the  operations  in  the  field  had  by 
this  time  degenerated  into  "jay-hawking," — a  local 
term  for  the  shooting  of  neighbors  who  belonged  to 
the  other  side  of  the  controversy.  This  custom  died 
out  slowly,  but  by  the  Summer  of  1859  it  became  less 
frequent,  and  a  crude,  rudimental  order  was  estab- 
lished throughout  the  Territory.  During  the  period 

[312] 


STRUGGLE  IN  EASTERN  KANSAS 

of  the  Civil  War  the  border  towns  suffered  severely, 
Lawrence,  as  usual,  being  the  special  object  of  at- 
tack. 

Summary  of  the  Struggle 

Spring  ably  sums  up  the  entire  period  of  dis- 
order in  these  satisfactory  words : 

"The  struggle  for  the  possession  of  Kansas,  the  loss  of  which 
to  the  South  made  secession  a  certainty,  was  essentially  political 
and  constitutional  —  not  military.  The  few  skirmishes  that  took 
place  have  a  secondary  if  not  tertiary  importance.  In  the  field 
of  diplomacy  and  finesse  the  pro-slavery  leaders  were  outgen- 
eralled.  Reckoning  too  confidently  and  disdainfully  on  num- 
bers, on  nearness  to  the  theatre  of  operations  and  federal  sup- 
port, they  also  blundered  in  adopting  consequently  a  policy  of 
noise  and  bluff.  They  came  thundering  into  the  Territory  on 
the  thirtieth  of  March,  1855,  when  quieter  measures  would  have 
served  their  purposes  far  better.  In  the  sack  of  Lawrence,  and 
the  dispersion  of  the  Topeka  Legislature,  victories  were  won 
which  returned  to  plague  the  victors.  The  career  of  the  free- 
State  party  under  the  lead  of  Governor  Robinson,  who  pro- 
jected and  inspired  the  whole  tactical  plan  of  its  operations,  has 
no  parallel  in  American  history.  Composed  of  heterogeneous, 
clashing,  feverish  elements;  repudiating  the  Territorial  Legis- 
lature, and  subsisting  without  legislation  —  an  intermediate  con- 
dition of  virtual  outlawry  —  from  the  settlement  of  Lawrence 
until  1858,  the  party  was  not  only  successfully  held  together 
during  this  chaotic  period,  but,  by  a  series  of  extraordinary 
expedients,  by  adroitly  turning  pro-slavery  mistakes  to  account, 
and  by  rousing  Northern  sympathy  through  successful  advertise- 
ment of  its  calamities,  rescued  Kansas  from  the  clutch  of  Mis- 
souri, and  then  disbanded." 


CHAPTER  III 
DAYS  OF  THE  CATTLE  KINGS 

Dawn  of  the  American  Cattle  Trade 

THESE  days,  whose  true  beginnings  cannot  be 
stated  with  positiveness,  extend  somewhat  be- 
yond the  date  with  which  the  record  of  this  volume 
is  supposed  to  conclude,  yet,  being  an  important 
part  of  the  story  of  the  Great  Plains,  the  review  of 
them  cannot  well  be  avoided.  No  more  picturesque 
state  of  life  in  the  open  —  strenuous,  perilous,  heroic 
—  has  ever  been  penned.  The  cowboy  of  the  Plains 
was  a  unique  figure,  to  whom  full  justice  has  never 
yet  been  accorded.  To  the  many  he  remains  a  riot- 
ous character,  whose  principal  occupation  was  the 
shooting  up  of  border  towns.  Yet  this  was  a  mere 
incident  in  a  hard,  laborious  life,  lived  almost  con- 
tinuously in  the  saddle,  on  remote  ranges  or  upon 
the  Long  Trail.  His  was  emphatically  the  spirit  of 
the  West,  the  boundless  sweep  of  prairie  his  natural 
environment,  the  saddle  his  home. 

Far  away  in  point  of  time,  the  wild-cattle  indus- 
try of  America  had  its  birth  in  far-ofT  Mexico.  Rap- 
idly the  herds  increased,  those  hordes  of  long- 
horned,  wild  cattle,  ever  seeking  a  wider  range  to 
the  northward,  following  close  to  the  retreating 
buffalo,  and  herded  by  reckless  Mexican  cowboys, 
swarthy  of  face  and  picturesque  in  costume.  Thus 
in  time  the  advance  guard  of  this  vast  army  of  cattle 


DAYS   OF   THE    CATTLE   KINGS 

drifted  across  the  Rio  Grande,  and  out  upon  the 
Texas  Plains.  Soon  it  was  discovered  that  the  short 
gray  grass  of  northern  Texas,  upon  which  the  roam- 
ing buffalo  had  thrived  so  long,  would  rear  cattle 
to  a  much  greater  size  than  the  herbage  along  the 
co^ast.  A  cow  weighing  five  or  six  hundred  pounds 
in  the  low  country,  would  increase  one-third  on  this 
higher  range.  And  there  the  cowboys  drove  the 
herds,  sometimes  with  Indian  consent,  sometimes 
holding  their  range  with  rifles. 

The  Mexican  Cowboy  Succeeded  by  the  American 

It  was  here  a  change  began,  not  only  in  the  na- 
ture of  the  cattle,  but  also  in  the  personnel  of  those 
men  who  herded  them.  One  by  one  the  swarthy- 
faced  Mexican  riders  dropped  aside,  and  adventur- 
ous young  Americans  leaped  into  the  vacated  sad- 
dles and  rode  the  trails.  They  were  not  bad  men, 
as  the  border  reckoned,  although  out  of  their  ranks 
came  desperado  and  outlaw,  but  the  majority  were 
young,  adventurous,  the  stuff  of  whom  good  sol- 
diers are  made,  ever  welcoming  danger,  defying 
privation,  resolutely  overcoming  difficulty,  and  in- 
sistent upon  their  rights.  This  was  practically  the 
dawn  of  the  American  cattle  trade.  The  Long 
Trail  began  pushing  its  sinuous  length  northward, 
as  the  owners  of  the  fast-increasing  herds  sought 
more  profitable  markets.  At  first  the  drive  was  back 
into  old  Mexico;  but  the  way  was  long,  the  prices 
were  low.  Then  it  turned  northward,  and  remained 
there  to  the  end.  As  early  as  1857  Texas  cattle 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

were  driven  to  Illinois;  in  1862,  to  various  points 
on  the  Mississippi  River.  In  1867  a  drover  started 
with  his  bunch  for  California,  only  to  be  halted  by 
hostile  Indians;  but  two  years  later  herds  were 
driven  from  Texas  to  Nevada. 

Texas    Cattle   on   the   Long  Trail 

But  these  were  mere  side  trails.  The  one  of 
real  importance  aimed  for  the  markets  of  the 
North.  The  close  of  the  Civil  War  found  the 
Texas  Plains  fairly  covered  with  millions  of  wild 
cattle  having  no  actual  or  determinate  value.  Un- 
less an  outlet  could  be  found  they  would  remain 
utterly  worthless.  But  railroads  were  by  that  time 
pushing  out  across  the  Plains  of  Kansas.  With 
every  mile  of  advance  the  steel  rails  brought  nearer 
the  markets  of  the  world.  Instinctively  the  Texas 
cattlemen  moved  forward  to  meet  them.  The  vast 
array  of  tossing  broad-horns  were  headed  northward, 
and  the  cowboys  rode  behind  urging  them  on  in 
solid  phalanx.  It  was  a  wondrous  sight,  this  ever 
increasing  stream  of  cattle  sweeping  out  of  the  dim 
Plains,  over  hundreds  of  miles  of  grim  desolation 
to  the  markets  of  the  North.  Across  the  Canadian, 
the  Cimarron,  and  the  Red  River,  over  the  Plains 
of  Texas,  the  diversified  lands  of  the  Indian  nations, 
the  rolling  prairies  of  Kansas,  the  slowly  advancing 
droves  found  passage,  the  trail  ever  cutting  deeper 
into  the  soil.  In  the  year  1866  alone,  it  was  pounded 
down  by  the  hoofs  of  more  than  a  quarter-million 

[316] 


DAYS  OF  THE   CATTLE   KINGS 

cattle.    Five  years  later  over  six  hundred  thousand 
long-horns  crossed  the  Red  River  north-bound. 

The  Rise  of  Mushroom  Towns  on  the  Trail 

What  days  those  were  along  the  border,  when 
money  was  plentiful,  and  human  life  the  mere  sport 
of  a  moment!  Town  after  town,  becoming  in  turn 
the  terminus  of  the  Long  Trail,  rose  into  sudden 
prominence,  only  to  sink  again  into  as  sudden  ob- 
livion as  the  iron  rails  advanced.  Abilene,  Newton, 
Wichita,  Ellsworth,  Hays  City,  Great  Bend,  Dodge 
City  all  had  their  day,  their  feverish  activity,  their 
flaming  up  into  good  and  evil  repute.  Within  the 
limits  of  each  in  turn  vice  held  high  carnival.  Here 
it  was  that,  weary  with  the  Long  Trail  and  the 
months  of  solitude  passed  on  lonely  ranges,  the 
reckless  nature  of  the  cowboy  found  invitation  to 
excess.  Here,  at  the  end  of  his  journey,  weary  with 
labor  and  peril,  like  the  sailor  ashore  after  a  long 
voyage,  the  herder  squandered  his  hard-earned 
wages,  and  sank  his  real  manhood  in  riotous  dissi- 
pation and  passionate  indulgence.  Here  he  be- 
came the  desperado,  the  "  gun-fighter,"  and  the 
"  bad  man."  He  was  encouraged  to  no  higher  life. 
Gambling-houses  and  brothels  filled  the  streets 
from  end  to  end;  the  saloon  welcomed  him  as  he 
swung  down  from  the  saddle;  the  very  air  was  elec- 
tric with  the  pleasures  of  sin.  When  under  the  in- 
fluence of  vile  liquor  and  riotous  associates,  the 
mild-mannered,  generous,  manly  fellow,  who  rode 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

so  confidently  the  vast  wilderness  of  the  Plains,  be- 
came a  terror,  whose  only  recognized  law  was  the 
"45"  dangling  at  the  hip. 

Cattle-Raising  on  the  Northern  Plains 

Gradually  the  nature  of  the  Long  Trail  changed. 
The  more  northern  Plains  also  began  to  raise  cattle, 
but  of  a  different  breed,  and  prejudice  grew  against 
the  longhorns.  There  came  a  scourge  of  fever 
among  the  Texas  cattle,  and  settlers  of  Kansas  rose 
in  revolt  against  the  contagion  being  spread  among 
their  own  herds.  With  rifles  they  barred  the  Trail, 
and  grimly  turned  back  the  thousands  pressing 
north.  There  were  fights  along  the  border,  in 
which  both  sides  had  to  take  account  of  their  dead. 
By  1868  the  more  northern  Plains,  between  the  Mis- 
souri and  the  Rockies,  had  been  sufficiently  cleared 
of  their  wild  inhabitants  to  admit  of  slight  settle- 
ment. Cattlemen  were  prompt  to  take  advantage 
of  these  broad  pastures.  The  buffalo  grass  and  the 
pure  water  of  the  streams  were  conducive  to  the 
rapid  growth  of  stock.  True,  the  loss  through  the 
severity  of  winter  storms  proved  very  large,  yet  the 
increase  remained  sufficient  to  yield  satisfactory 
profit.  The  range  was  yearly  extended  northward, 
the  vast  herds  gradually  forcing  back  the  inferior 
cattle  of  Texas.  The  Long  Trail  swung  slowly 
westward  with  these  changes  governing  the  mar- 
ket. The  old  time  famous  —  or  infamous  —  cattle 
towns  sank  into  commonplace  villages,  and  the  dar- 
ing range-riders  drove  their  herds  of  long-horns 


DAYS   OF  THE   CATTLE   KINGS 

through  every  open  park,  mesa,  and  valley  of  Colo- 
rado, and  across  the  high  plateaus  of  Wyoming  into 
distant  Montana.  Somewhere  on  the  way  they  be- 
came merged  into  the  northern  droves,  losing  their 
old  wild  identity,  their  progeny  floating  southward 
again  to  market,  minus  the  longhorns,  the  typical 
cattle  of  the  later  trade. 

Strenuous  Life  of  the  Cowboy 

For  many  a  long  year  the  western  portion  of  the 
Great  Plains  was  held  utterly  unfit  for  agriculture. 
It  remained  in  its  primitive  barrenness,  almost  un- 
touched by  settlement.  To  the  teeming  thousands 
of  the  East  it  was  still  looked  upon  as  a  vast  forbid- 
ding desert.  Across  it  stretched  those  narrow  trails 
where  travellers  passed  on  their  journey  westward, 
anxious  only  to  reach  its  end.  The  plodding  freight- 
wagon,  the  lumbering  stage-coach,  the  flying  express 
passed  this  way,  yet  saw  nothing  but  the  endless 
wilderness.  But  here  was  the  cattle  country,  ex- 
tending finally  from  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  North 
Dakota  line,  roamed  over  by  vast  herds,  and 
guarded  night  and  day  by  an  army  of  cowboys.  By 
magic  the  cattle  industry  had  spread  over  all  this 
neglected  region ;  and  jealous  of  its  rights,  it  fought 
back  for  many  a  year  all  attempts  at  permanent  set- 
tlement within  its  chosen  domain.  The  wide, 
untrammelled  range  belonged  to  the  cattlemen  by 
right  of  possession,  and  they  held  it  with  the  rifle  as 
long  as  possible.  Hough  writes: 

"It  was   a   curious,   colossal,    tremendous   movement,   this 

[319] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

migration  of  the  cowmen  and  their  herds,  undoubtedly  the  great- 
est pastoral  movement  in  the  history  of  the  world.  It  came  with 
a  rush  and  a  surge,  and  in  ten  years  it  had  subsided.  That 
decade  was  an  epoch  in  the  West.  The  cities  of  Cibola  began. 
The  strong  men  of  the  Plains  met  and  clashed,  and  warred  and 
united  and  pushed  on.  What  a  decade  that  was!  What  must 
have  been  the  men  who  made  it  what  it  was!  It  was  an  iron 
country,  and  upon  it  came  men  of  iron.  Dauntless,  indomitable, 
each  time  they  took  a  herd  North  they  saw  enough  of  life  to  fill 
in  vivid  pages  far  more  than  a  single  book.  They  met  the 
ruffians  and  robbers  of  the  Missouri  border,  and  overcame  them. 
They  met  the  Indians  who  sought  to  extort  toll  from  them,  and 
fought  and  beat  them.  Worse  than  all  these,  they  met  the  desert 
and  the  flood,  and  overcame  them  also.  Worse  yet  than  those, 
they  met  the  repelling  forces  of  an  entire  climatic  change,  the 
silent  enemies  of  other  latitudes.  These,  too,  they  overcame. 
The  kings  of  the  range  divided  the  kingdom  of  free  grass." 

The  Cowboy's  Daily  Work 

Life  in  the  great  cattle  country  was  a  life  of 
variety,  yet  of  sameness.  Hardship,  loneliness,  peril 
were  the  cowboy's  constant  companions.  No  weak- 
ling long  survived,  no  coward  ever  endured.  The 
far  north  and  far  south  ranges  presented  different 
problems  for  solution,  different  dangers  to  be  met, 
yet  over  all  was  a  sameness  except  as  to  detail.  In 
some  places  the  struggle  was  against  drought,  against 
the  pitiless  desert,  the  arid  heat  of  sun-baked  desola- 
tion; in  others  the  battle  was  as  sternly  waged 
against  the  deadening  sleet,  the  down-sweep  of  the 
storm  across  the  bare  Plains.  In  either  case  it  re- 
quired men  to  ride  the  lines  and  hold  the  cattle. 
There  are  those  among  us  even  in  this  day  who  look 
back  and  dream;  we  see  again  the  wide  sweep  of 

[320] 


DAYS  OF  THE   CATTLE   KINGS 

plain  and  sky;  we  feel  the  sense  of  freedom  which 
that  broad  expanse  brings,  the  mastery  of  the  wilds. 
This  sense  of  freedom  and  mastery  constituted 
the  exhilaration  which  drew  and  held  thousands  to 
the  dull  routine  work  of  the  range.  About  the  home 
ranch  the  days  and  nights  passed  under  a  discipline 
no  less  severe  because  it  was  only  half  acknowl- 
edged. The  foreman  ruled;  the  cowboy  grumbled 
but  obeyed,  even  unto  death.  He  was  a  good  sol- 
dier, or  the  camp  would  have  none  of  him.  From 
earliest  gray  of  dawn  until  the  flickering  twilight, 
work  never  ceased.  There  were  no  vacations,  no 
furloughs  from  this  service  of  the  range.  Except  for 
those  brief,  infrequent  periods  passed  amid  the  gar- 
ish glitter  of  some  frontier  hell  at  the  end  of  the 
drive  to  market,  the  demands  of  duty  seldom  ceased. 
Never  did  men  work  harder,  through  longer  hours, 
or  amid  more  peril  and  discomforts,  for  so  small  a 
wage,  as  these  tireless  guardians  of  the  herds.  Yet 
they  loved  it,  and  the  marvellous  joy  of  the  life 
crept  into  the  blood.  It  was  the  call  of  the  wild. 
Night  and  day,  in  sunshine  and  in  storm,  they  rode 
the  uplands  and  the  valleys ;  they  slept  in  the  saddle, 
or  on  the  open  Plains  under  the  stars  of  the  Great 
Desert;  they  conquered  the  wild  horses  of  the  prai- 
ries into  obedience  to  quirt  and  spur;  they  dashed 
forward  into  a  melee  of  frightened  cattle,  while  the 
thunder  roared  and  the  lightning  flashed,  with  death 
on  every  hand.  They  were  the  minute  men,  never 
knowing  when  the  call  for  sacrifice  might  come, 
yet  never  failing  to  answer  when  it  did.  Under  his 

[321] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

picturesque  garb,  every  article  a  necessity  of  his 
calling,  —  the  hairy  "  chaps,"  the  broad  sombrero, 
the  clanking  spurs,  the  glistening  "slicker," — beat 
the  undaunted  heart  of  a  man  loyal  to  his  employer, 
faithful  to  his  duty,  and  a  Westerner  from  head  to 
foot. 

His  Character  as  Affected  by  his  Environment 

Except  for  the  round-ups  in  spring  and  fall,  and 
the  drive  to  market,  the  social  life  of  the  cowboy 
was  confined  to  the  companionship  offered  by  the 
home  ranch,  or  an  occasional  meeting  on  the  wide 
range.  Month  after  month  he  was  alone,  or  with 
the  single  comrade  who  rode  the  lines  with  him. 
Inevitably  he  grew  silent,  chary  of  speech,  but  quick 
and  effective  in  action.  Scarcely  knowing  why,  or 
how,  the  environment  marked  him,  as  the  sea  the 
sailor.  He  became  a  part  of  those  Great  Plains  he 
ruled  and  loved.  Always  he  was  at  war  —  the  war 
of  man  with  brute,  of  man  with  the  elements;  he 
must  conquer  or  go  down.  Riding  about  the  sleep- 
ing herd  at  night,  singing  lustily  to  calm  their  fears ; 
loping  in  seeming  carelessness  beside  the  advanc- 
ing column,  amid  the  dust  of  thousands  of  hoofs; 
sweeping  across  the  sun-browned  ridges,  a  mere 
speck  in  the  vast  landscape;  spurring  desperately 
with  his  fellows  to  bring  in  the  last  stray  for  the 
branding;  or  rolled  in  his  blanket  under  the  stars, 
the  cowboy  must  be  always  ready,  resourceful,  pre- 
pared for  any  emergency.  Nothing  must  count  but 
duty;  human  life  was  a  bagatelle  in  those  days  on 

[322] 


DAYS  OF  THE   CATTLE   KINGS 

the  Plains:  in  the  mad  stampede  of  the  blackest 
night;  in  the  crazy  drifting  before  a  northern  bliz- 
zard, in  the  fierce  down-rush  of  water  through  the 
canyons,  with  every  impetus  of  quirt  and  spur  the 
daring  rider  must  head  the  rush  of  terrified  animals, 
or  lie  himself  a  shapeless  pulp  under  their  pounding 
hoofs.  There  is  no  choice  then!  "  Ride,  Jim!  Ride, 
Springtime!  and  Tex.,  and  Curley,  and  Kid,  and 
Cherokee,  and  all  the  rest  of  you!  Now,  if  ever, 
you  must  be  men  of  proof!  Into  the  rattle  of  it,  up 
to  the  head  of  it,  press,  spur,  crowd!  Shoot  into 
their  faces,  frighten  them  back,  turn  them  aside, 
ride  into  them,  over  them,  but  ride  fast  and  thought- 
less of  yourself!  There  is  no  possibility  of  taking 
care.  The  pony  must  do  it  all.  The  pony  knows 
what  a  stumble  means.  The  herd  will  roll  over 
horse  and  man,  and  crush  them  as  if  they  were  but 
prairie  flowers.  The  ground  is  rough,  but  there 
must  be  no  blunder.  Ah,  but  there  was!  Some- 
thing happened  there !  There  was  a  stumble !  There 
was  a  cry,  smothered ;  but  all  that  was  half  a  mile 
back.  The  herd  sweeps  on." 

His  Battles  with  Savages  and  Others 

And  those  range  days  are  full  of  other  stories. 
It  was  not  cattle  and  storms  alone  the  cowboy  con- 
tended against.  He  was  soldier  and  scout,  as  well  as 
herder.  Again  and  again,  sometimes  singly,  some- 
times in  company,  he  met  the  savage  in  contest  of 
blood.  Comanche,  Apache,  Kiowa,  Arapahoe, 
Cheyenne,  and  Sioux,  all  had  a  try  at  the  nerve  of 

[323] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

those  lone  white  riders,  and  they  paid  the  cost.  And 
there  was  war  everywhere.  Many  a  cattle-king  held 
his  kingdom  of  free  grass  and  free  water  by  grace  of 
the  rifle  and  the  reckless  daring  of  his  men.  There 
were  battles  —  unknown,  unnamed  —  fought  out 
fiercely  in  the  nooks  and  corners  of  the  cow-country 
—  struggles  against  rivals,  against  "rustlers," 
against  "nesters,"  against  sheep-men,  against  the 
gradual  advance  of  civilization  and  settlement.  And 
the  cowboy  was  loyal  to  the  "  old  man  " — his  life  as 
freely  offered  here,  in  some  quarrel  regarding  the 
merits  of  which  he  knew  nothing,  as  when  he  rode 
recklessly  to  round  up  a  stampeding  herd. 

The  Last  of  the  Cowboy 

But  the  end  came  —  came  with  the  steady  ad- 
vance of  iron  rails  across  the  open  Plain,  and  the 
consequent  influx  of  emigrants.  In  spite  of  their 
struggles  the  cattlemen  were  driven  back,  their  vast 
ranges  transformed  into  farms,  their  free  grass  check- 
ered by  wire  fences.  It  was  inevitable.  The  Western 
farmer,  though  often  discouraged  and  beaten,  came 
to  stay,  and  he  stayed.  The  railroads  crossed  the 
continent  in  many  a  line,  ever  narrowing  the  cow- 
country.  They  began  to  build  spurs  and  side-lines; 
they  bent  north  and  south;  they  wiped  out  forever 
free  grass  and  free  water.  The  occupation  of  the 
cowboy  was  gone;  the  herds  vanished,  the  wide 
sweep  of  the  Plains  became  only  a  memory.  The 
centre  of  what  was  left  of  the  cattle  industry  shifted 
to  more  remote  regions,  to  Wyoming  and  Montana 

[324] 


DAYS  OF  THE   CATTLE  KINGS 

in  the  North,  to  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  in  the 
South.  With  the  change  in  environment  much  that 
had  served  to  make  the  cowboy  unique  and  pic- 
turesque disappeared.  Yet  to  the  end  he  remained 
a  typical  figure  of  the  West,  while  the  routine  of 
his  duties  only  slightly  varied.  He  who  has  best 
written  his  story,  Emerson  Hough,  thus  sums  up  its 
closing  chapter: 

"  The  cowboy  was  simply  a  part  of  the  Great  West.  Never 
was  any  character  more  misunderstood  than  he ;  and  so  thorough 
was  his  misrepresentation  that  part  of  the  public  even  to-day  will 
have  no  other  way  of  looking  at  him.  They  see  the  wide  hat, 
and  not  the  honest  face  beneath  it.  They  remember  the  wild, 
momentary  freaks  of  the  man,  but  forget  his  lifetime  of  hard 
work  and  patient  faithfulness.  The  way  in  which  we  should 
look  at  the  cowboy  of  the  passing  West  is  not  as  a  curiosity,  but 
as  a  product;  not  as  an  eccentric  driver  of  horned  cattle,  but 
as  a  man  suited  to  his  times.  .  .  .  He  was  a  part  of  the 
warp  of  an  interwoven  web  of  humanity,  still  leaving  a  dash  of 
color  upon  the  growing  monotone." 


[325] 


CHAPTER  IV 
BUILDING  THE  FIRST  RAILROAD 

Resistance  of  Indians  to  the  Advance  of  Civilization 

THE  building  of  the  Union  Pacific  marked  the 
commencement  of  a  new  epoch  on  the  Great 
Plains.  Over  a  large  extent  of  hitherto  desolate 
country  it  was  the  harbinger  of  advancing  civiliza- 
tion and  settlement.  To  none  was  this  more  quickly 
apparent  than  to  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  that 
vast  waste.  Whether  or  not  the  Indian  mind  fully 
comprehended  the  significance  of  those  parallel 
iron  rails  pressing  relentlessly  forward  up  the 
Platte  Valley,  this  advance  of  the  white  man  to 
supremacy  was  instantly  met  with  fierce  and  pro- 
longed resistance.  Never  before,  or  since,  in  the 
history  of  the  Plains  tribes,  was  there  so  close  an 
alliance  for  war  against  a  common  enemy.  Every 
wild  tribe,  nation,  and  band  were  in  the  field,  and 
from  end  to  end  of  the  border  sounded  the  war-cry, 
and  arose  the  flames  of  destruction.  This  began 
with  the  earliest  efforts  at  surveying  a  route,  and 
continued  until  after  the  driving  of  the  last  spike. 
Surveyors,  graders,  trackmen,  even  trainmen,  fought 
desperately  for  every  mile  they  attained  westward. 
The  end  of  the  track  was  almost  inevitably  a  battle 
ground.  The  workmen  labored,  with  their  guns 

[326] 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST   RAILROAD 

within  easy  reach,  and  under  the  vigilant  guard  of 
detachments  of  troops.  Night  and  day  peril  lurked 
on  every  side,  and  savage  spying  eyes  watched  for 
opportunity  over  adjacent  ridges.  The  strain,  the 
imminent  danger,  was  incessant,  the  skulking  foe 
ever  close  at  hand. 

Surveys  for  a  Pacific  Railroad 

The  possibility  of  building  a  rail  communica- 
tion across  the  continent  had  been  a  dream  of  cer- 
tain army  officers  and  venturesome  civilians,  for 
many  years.  As  early  as  1849  Lieutenant  Warner 
made  certain  surveys  in  the  farther  West  of  the 
mountains,  which  may  be  held  as  preliminary  to 
this  great  project.  From  the  terminus  on  the  Mis- 
souri exploring  surveys,  with  this  purpose  clearly 
in  mind,  began  as  early  as  1853,  and  continued  each 
year  until  1861,  when  the  coming  on  of  the  Civil 
War  put  a  temporary  stop  to  contemplated  plans. 
These  surveys  were  conducted  by  General  G.  M. 
Dodge,  and  in  picturing  them  I  shall  largely  quote 
his  own  language.  He  says : 

"The  first  private  survey  and  exploration  of  the  Pacific 
Railroad  was  caused  by  the  failure  of  the  Mississippi  and  Mis- 
souri —  now  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island,  and  Pacific  —  to  complete 
its  project.  The  men  who  put  their  money  into  that  enterprise 
conceived  the  idea  of  working  up  a  scheme,  west  of  Iowa,  that 
would  be  an  inducement  to  capital  to  invest  in  carrying  their 
project  across  Iowa  to  the  Missouri  River.  They  also  wished 
to  determine  at  what  point  on  the  Missouri  the  Pacific  Rail- 
road would  start,  so  as  to  terminate  their  road  at  that  point. 
The  explorers  adopted  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  as  that  point." 

[327] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

Lincoln's  Share  in  Founding  the  Union  Pacific 

The  Union  Pacific  Company  was  finally  organ- 
ized at  Chicago,  September  2,  1862,  but  the  war 
then  being  on  in  earnest,  the  effort  to  engage  capital 
in  the  project  proved  a  failure.  Little  was  immedi- 
ately accomplished,  except  some  further  prelimin- 
ary surveys  carried  on  by  Reed,  Dey,  and  Brayton. 
But  previous  to  this  an  accidental  meeting  between 
General  Dodge  and  Abraham  Lincoln  had  oc- 
curred, by  which  Mr.  Lincoln's  interest  had  been 
aroused  regarding  the  projected  movement.  This 
resulted  later  in  governmental  assistance  toward  the 
furthering  of  the  scheme.  Dodge  writes  of  this 
early  conference : 

"During  these  explorations,  in  1856  or  1857,  I  happened  to 
return  to  Council  Bluffs,  where  Mr.  Lincoln  chanced  to  be  on 
business.  It  was  then  quite  an  event  for  an  exploring  party  to 
reach  the  States.  After  dinner,  while  I  was  sitting  on  the  stoop 
of  the  Pacific  House,  Mr.  Lincoln  came  and  sat  down  beside 
me  and,  in  his  kindly  way  and  manner,  was  soon  drawing  from 
me  all  I  knew  of  the  country  west,  and  the  result  of  my  surveys. 
The  secrets  that  were  to  go  to  my  employers  he  got,  and,  in 
fact,  as  the  saying  there  was,  he  completely  'shelled  my  woods.'  " 

As  a  direct  result  of  that  interview,  in  the  Spring  of 
1863  President  Lincoln  sent  for  Dodge,  then  with 
Grant's  army  at  Corinth,  to  come  to  him  for  further 
conference  at  Washington. 

Under  the  action  of  a  law  passed  by  Congress 
in  1862,  it  had  become  the  duty  of  the  President  to 
fix  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  projected  Pacific 
Railroad.  Lincoln  was  deeply  interested  in  the 
whole  matter,  and  very  desirous  of  having  the  ad- 

[328] 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST   RAILROAD 

vance  made  promptly.  Council  Bluffs  was  selected 
for  the  eastern  terminus,  but  the  strain  on  the  Gov- 
ernment at  that  time  made  it  necessary  to  rely  upon 
private  enterprise  for  the  furnishing  of  means  to  its 
building.  Nothing  further  of  importance  was  accom- 
plished until,  in  1864,  Congress  enacted  further  leg- 
islation ;  but  after  the  close  of  the  war  exploration 
of  the  territory  involved  was  renewed  with  vigor, 
and  several  satisfactory  routes  for  crossing  the 
mountains  were  discovered  and  surveyed.  These 
various  exploring  parties  were  under  Government 
control,  largely  being  commanded  by  officers  of  the 
army;  but  the  route  adopted  by  the  Union  Pacific 
was  laid  out  mainly  through  private  enterprise. 
Commercially,  although  not  from  an  engineering 
viewpoint,  it  constituted  a  true  line  from  the  Atlan- 
tic to  the  Pacific. 

It  and  the  Central  Pacific  Built  for  Commercial  Purposes 

But  the  Union  Pacific  and  the  Central  Pacific 
(the  latter  the  section  west  of  Ogden,  built  under 
separate  organization  of  capital,  yet  in  unison)  were 
projected  for  commercial  purposes,  and  with  the 
one  object  —  to  obtain  a  quick,  short  line  from  river 
to  coast.  With  the  rather  serious  engineering  ob- 
stacles encountered,  particularly  in  the  mountainous 
regions,  we  are  not  now  especially  concerned.  That 
they  were  most  formidable  must  be  apparent  to  all 
travellers  of  these  later  days,  but  our  particular 
interest  now  centres  on  the  great  country  of  the 
Plains  where  the  work  was  comparatively  easy,  and 

[329! 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

the  grades  light.  In  1863  an(i  ^64  the  final  sur- 
veys were  systematically  begun,  and  by  1866  the 
entire  selected  route  was  being  carefully  considered. 
In  Dodge's  graphic  language : 

"  Day  and  night,  summer  and  winter,  the  explorations  were 
pushed  forward  through  dangers  and  hardships  that  very  few 
at  this  day  appreciate;  as  every  mile  had  to  be  in  range  of  the 
musket,  there  was  not  a  moment's  security.  In  making  the 
surveys  numbers  of  our  men,  some  of  them  the  ablest  and  most 
promising,  were  killed;  and  during  the  construction  our  stock 
was  run  off  by  the  hundred,  I  might  say  by  the  thousand.  As 
one  difficulty  after  another  arose  and  was  overcome,  both  in  the 
engineering  and  construction  departments,  a  new  era  in  railroad 
building  was  inaugurated." 

The  Construction  an  Arduous  Work 

This  simple  statement  is  well  within  the  limits 
of  modesty.  From  every  standpoint  it  was  a  mar- 
vellous enterprise,  carried  successfully  forward  with 
great  skill  and  courage  in  midst  of  constant  peril 
and  almost  insurmountable  discouragements.  In 
1865  forty  miles  of  track  was  laid;  in  1866,  two 
hundred  and  sixty;  in  1867,  two  hundred  and  forty, 
including  the  ascent  to  the  summit  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  at  an  elevation  of  over  eight  thousand 
feet;  in  1868,  and  up  to  May  10,  1869,  five  hun- 
dred and  fifty-five  miles  more  was  added,  besides 
which  over  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  of  tem- 
porary and  side  tracks  was  constructed.  The  mar- 
vel of  it  grows  as  the  conditions  are  considered. 
This  was  through  a  new,  unsettled  country;  over 
desert,  plain,  and  rugged  mountain,  with  hostile 

[330] 


SCENES  ALONG  THE  LINE  OF  THE  FIRST  RAILROAD 

RAILROAD-BUILDING  ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  —  AN  ATTACK   ON  THE  CONSTRUCTION 
GANG— TYPE  OF  THE  TOWNS  WHICH   SPRANG  UP  ALONG  THE  NEW   LINE 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST   RAILROAD 

Indians  swarming  over  the  route,  and  every  la- 
borer and  every  pound  of  equipment  hauled  hun- 
dreds of  miles  to  the  front. 

The  first  grading  was  commenced  in  the  Autumn 
of  1864,  and  the  first  rail  placed  in  position  in  July 
the  following  year.  At  this  time  there  was  no  rail 
communication  between  Council  Bluffs  and  the 
East,  while  the  country  to  be  traversed  could  furnish 
little,  if  any,  of  the  materials  necessary.  Timber, 
fuel,  steel  —  everything  required,  including  mules 
and  men,  had  to  be  transported  for  hundreds,  and 
oftentimes  thousands  of  miles,  by  steamboats  up  the 
dangerous  Missouri,  and  then  in  wagons  along  the 
prairie  trails.  It  required  a  most  efficient  organiza- 
tion, an  able  corps  of  officers,  an  army  of  men,  a 
multitude  of  mules.  Probably  the  experiences  de- 
rived from  the  great  war  just  concluded  alone  made 
so  stupendous  an  undertaking  possible.  The  lead- 
ers of  construction  had  been  trained  in  the  field  to 
overcome  natural  obstacles,  to  meet  emergencies  in 
the  quickest  practicable  manner.  They  were  not  the- 
orists, but  builders.  Many  of  the  employees  were 
discharged  volunteers,  disciplined  by  three  years  in 
the  ranks,  habituated  to  danger  and  hardship.  Back 
of  this  efficient  field  force  stood  the  Government  as 
sponsor;  already  burdened  with  billions  of  debt, 
fifty  million  dollars  more  was  floated  to  help  to 
finance  this  project  which  promised  so  much  for  the 
development  of  the  West.  This  act  created  a  credit 
which  enabled  the  railroad  management  to  float  an 
equal  amount  with  ease.  Handled  by  men  of  means, 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

courage,  and  unbounded  faith, —  men  who  threw 
their  own  private  fortunes  into  the  scale, —  the  gi- 
gantic task  was  begun  and  finished.  The  men  at 
the  front  always  knew  they  had  behind  them  a  re- 
serve force  that  would  never  fail. 

Military  Protection  for  the  Workmen 

In  the  actual  field  work  the  regular  army  be- 
came conspicuous.  The  commissary  department 
was  freely  utilized.  Troops  in  considerable  num- 
bers were  detained  to  guard  the  various  working 
parties;  the  pioneers  explored,  surveyed,  located, 
and  built  inside  picket  lines,  while  scouting  parties 
of  cavalrymen  patrolled  the  more  distant  bluffs,  or 
vigorously  pursued  Indian  raiders.  The  workmen 
marched  to  their  labor  to  the  tap  of  the  drum,  every 
man  armed  for  instant  battle.  They  stacked  their 
guns  on  the  dump,  as  they  stripped  for  the  day's 
work.  Writes  Dodge : 

"General  Casement's  track-train  could  arm  a  thousand  men 
at  a  word ;  and  from  him,  as  a  head,  down  to  his  chief  spiker, 
it  could  be  commanded  by  experienced  officers  of  every  rank 
from  general  to  captain.  They  had  served  five  years  at  the 
front,  and  over  half  of  the  men  had  shouldered  a  musket  in 
many  battles.  An  illustration  of  this  came  to  me  after  our  track 
had  passed  Plum  Creek,  two  hundred  miles  west  of  the  Mis- 
souri River.  The  Indians  had  captured  a  freight  train,  and 
were  in  possession  of  it  and  its  crew.  It  so  happened  that  I 
was  coming  down  from  the  front  with  my  car,  which  was  a 
travelling  arsenal.  At  Plum  Creek  station  word  came  of  this 
capture  and  stopped  us.  On  my  train  were  perhaps  twenty  men, 
some  a  portion  of  the  crew,  some  who  had  been  discharged  and 
sought  passage  to  the  rear.  Nearly  all  were  strangers  to  me. 

[332] 


BUILDING  THE   FIRST   RAILROAD 

The  excitement  of  the  capture,  and  the  reports  coming  by  tele- 
graph of  the  burning  train,  brought  all  the  men  to  the  platform, 
and,  when  I  called  upon  them  to  fall  in,  to  go  forward  and 
retake  the  train,  every  man  went  into  line,  and  by  his  position 
showed  that  he  was  a  soldier.  We  ran  down  slowly  until  we 
came  in  sight  of  the  train.  I  gave  the  order  to  deploy  as 
skirmishers,  and  at  the  command  they  went  forward  as  steadily, 
and  in  as  good  order,  as  we  had  seen  the  old  soldiers  climb  the 
face  of  Kenesaw  under  fire." 

Effects   of   Increased   Settlement   on   Soil   and   Climate 

In  those  days  the  one  thought  of  the  promoters 
of  this  great  transcontinental  line  was  the  through 
traffic.  Probably  not  one  among  them  dreamed  of 
the  swift  development  of  the  country  traversed  by 
their  lines  of  rail,  or  that  those  deserts  would  ever 
be  thickly  populated.  Even  as  late  as  the  date  of 
the  completion  few  there  were  who  believed  those 
barren,  treeless  wastes  could  ever  be  made  agricul- 
turally profitable.  But  the  tide  of  population,  seek- 
ing cheaper  land  on  which  to  build  homes,  surged 
resistlessly  westward.  They  were  pushed  from  the 
fertile  valleys  onto  the  barren  Plain,  and,  by  the  help 
of  nature,  conquered  the  wilderness.  The  very  cli- 
mate changed  before  the  mystery  of  this  advance  of 
civilization.  The  iron  rails,  which  soon  spread  in 
every  direction,  the  upturning  of  the  prairie  sod, 
the  planting  of  trees,  worked  a  miracle  of  regenera- 
tion. Especially  was  this  notable  in  the  rain-fall. 
Observers  have  testified  that,  with  the  beginning  of 
civilization,  the  rain-belt  steadily  advanced  ^est- 
ward  from  the  Missouri  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles  a 
year.  In  the  earlier  days  on  the  Plains  none  of  the 

[333] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

main  crops  could  be  raised  except  by  irrigation. 
From  April  to  September  no  rain  fell  over  a  vast 
region.  The  snows  of  the  mountains  alone  fur- 
nished the  streams  with  water,  and  gave  the  short 
bunch  grass  sufficient  dampness  to  sustain  its  life 
until  July.  To  those  who  knew  that  country  then, 
and  can  behold  it  to-day,  the  difference  is  mar- 
vellous. The  truth  is,  the  Great  Plains  were  never 
a  desert,  in  the  proper  application  of  the  term.  They 
were  a  misunderstood  region,  where  fertility  only 
awaited  opportunity.  That  opportunity  arrived 
with  the  coming  of  a  railroad,  and  the  thousands  of 
hardy  settlers  who  flocked  to  the  promised  land. 
Dodge  sums  it  all  up  in  these  words; 

"  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  opening  of  the  Pacific 
Road,  viewed  simply  in  its  relation  to  the  spread  of  population, 
development  of  resources,  and  actual  advance  of  civilization,  was 
an  event  to  be  ranked  in  far-reaching  results  with  the  landing 
of  the  Pilgrims,  or  perhaps  the  voyage  of  Columbus." 

And  Inman  adds : 

"The  Great  Salt  Lake  Trail  is  now  crossed  and  recrossed 
by  the  iron  highway  of  commerce.  The  wilderness  is  no  longer 
silent;  the  spell  of  its  enchantment  is  broken.  The  lonely 
trapper  has  vanished  from  the  stern  mountain  scene.  The  Indian 
himself  has  nearly  disappeared,  and  in  another  generation  the 
wild  landmarks  of  the  old  trail  will  be  almost  the  only  tangible 
memorials  of  the  men  who  led  the  way." 


[334] 


T 


CHAPTER  V 
BORDER  TOWNS 

Cow-Towns  the  Nuclei  of  Permanent  Settlements 

HIS  pushing  forward  of  railways  into  the 
wilds  of  the  Plains  caused  a  rapid  advance  of 
settlement  where  formerly  the  sustenance  of  life 
had  been  impossible.  At  the  end  of  the  unfinished 
line,  as  it  progressed  westward,  there  was  always  a 
mushroom  town  built  of  shacks  and  tents,  among 
which  saloons  and  brothels  were  prominent,  the 
streets  generally  littered  with  discarded  tin  cans, 
and,  at  night,  swarming  with  a  heterogeneous  popu- 
lation. Here  lived  the  surveyors,  the  graders,  the 
track-layers,  and  the  train  men,  and  about  them  clus- 
tered swarms  of  parasites  desirous  of  living  off  their 
wages  through  the  glittering  allurements  of  sin. 
Some  of  these  temporary  halting-places  became 
towns  and  cities  of  importance  in  later  years,  and 
one  or  two  held  the  honor  of  forming  the  end  of 
the  Long  Trail  in  the  closing  era  of  the  cattle  trade ; 
but  more  often  they  passed  into  absolute  oblivion 
as  the  road  advanced,  their  very  names  forgotten. 

Yet  every  eight  or  ten  miles  along  the  gleaming 
rails  there  was  left  the  nucleus  of  settlement,  some- 
times a  mere  water-tank,  with  its  attendant  section 
house,  planted  like  a  guard  in  the  grim  desert; 
again,  some  such  desolate  spot  would  arrive  at  the 
dignity  of  a  cow-town,  a  shipping  place  for  the 

[335] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

cattle  of  neighboring  ranges.  Under  the  stimulus 
of  this  passing  trade  the  place  would  flourish  and 
expand,  shacks  would  spread  out  over  the  prairie 
into  the  semblance  of  a  straggling  village ;  general 
stores  would  appear  along  the  main  street,  usually 
facing  the  track,  rude,  barnlike  structures ;  saloons, 
gambling-dens,  and  dance  halls  would  be  strewn 
thickly  in  between  the  few  legitimate  business 
houses,  while  cattle  pens  straggled  along  the  road 
in  evidence  of  the  town's  real  mission.  During  the 
height  of  the  cattle  trade,  after  the  moving  west- 
ward of  the  Long  Trail,  these  places  became  cen- 
tres for  a  wide  extent  of  trade,  and  led  a  wild, 
riotous,  and  prosperous  life. 

The  Cowboys'  Idea  of  Enjoyment 

To  thousands  of  cowboys,  riding  the  sun-browned 
plains  of  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Colorado,  and  Indian 
Territory,  isolated  for  weary  months  of  incessant 
toil  in  the  saddle  and  at  the  home  ranch,  such 
squalid  settlements,  when  finally  reached  once  or 
twice  a  year,  afforded  their  sole  glimpse  of  the 
wider  world.  Here,  to  their  minds,  was  life;  and, 
no  sooner  was  their  bunch  of  cattle  safely  penned 
for  shipment,  than  they  turned  themselves  loose, 
seeking  all  the  enjoyment  to  be  found.  They  were 
like  children  attracted  by  tinsel  and  tawdry  glit- 
ter, and  all  that  was  offered  them  was  of  the  lowest. 
The  vices  of  the  border  were  few  and  coarse,  but 
these  the  cowboy  off  duty  was  eager  enough  to 
sample.  He  found  plenty  of  teachers  ready  to  as- 

[336] 


BORDER  TOWNS 

sist,  so  long  as  he  parted  freely  with  his  coin.  Every 
man  stood  for  himself  alone  in  those  days  and  in 
that  land;  he  was  what  he  proved  himself  to  be 
by  the  rude  code  of  the  border.  There  were  no 
artificial  distinctions,  no  social  barriers;  it  was  a 
world  governed  by  physical  force,  dominated  by 
passions  unrestrained.  The  West  asked  no  questions 
of  any  man ;  all  that  had  been,  in  other  days,  east 
of  the  Missouri,  was  blotted  out.  Here  he  stood 
eye  to  eye  with  his  fellows,  and  no  voice  challenged 
him. 

Character  of  the  Frontier  People 

Emerson  Hough  writes : 

"Virtue  was  almost  unknown  in  the  cow-town  of  the  'front* 
in  the  early  days.  Vice  of  the  flaunting  sort  was  the  neighbor 
of  every  man.  The  church  might  be  tolerated;  the  saloon  and 
dance-hall  were  regarded  as  necessities.  Never  in  the  wildest 
days  of  the  wildest  mining  camps  has  there  been  a  more  dissolute 
or  more  desperate  class  of  population  than  that  which  at  times 
hung  upon  the  edge  of  the  cattle  trail  or  of  the  catle  range  and 
battened  upon  its  earnings.  The  chapters  of  the  tale  of  riotous 
crime  which  might  be  told  would  fill  many  books,  and  would 
make  vivid  reading  enough,  though  hardly  of  a  sort  to  the  pur- 
pose here.  .  .  .  It  is  strange  that  the  records  of  those  days 
are  the  ones  that  should  be  chosen  by  the  public  to  be  held  as  the 
measure  of  the  American  cowboy.  Those  days  were  brief,  and 
they  are  long  since  gone.  The  American  cowboy  has  atoned 
for  them  by  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  faithful  labor,  and  it  is 
time  the  atonement  were  written  for  him  in  the  minds  of  the 
people  by  the  side  of  the  record  of  his  sins." 

Picturesqueness  of  the  Cow-Towns 

These  little  cow-towns,  while  they  lasted,  were 
full  of  color,  excitement,  and  picturesqueness. 

[3371 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

Never  again  can  their  like  be  seen.  The  environ- 
ment was  dull,  desolate,  forlorn;  all  that  was  worthy 
of  the  eye,  the  thought,  was  the  pulsing  human  ele- 
ment. All  about  was  the  barrenness  of  great  Plains, 
stretching  unrelieved  to  the  horizon,  while  here  in 
the  middle  of  the  grim  picture  clustered  the  rude, 
unpainted  houses,  the  shacks,  the  grimy  tents  flap- 
ping in  the  never  ceasing  wind,  the  ugly  red  station, 
the  rough  cow-pens  rilled  with  lowing  cattle,  the 
huge,  ungainly  stores,  with  false  fronts  decorated 
by  amateur  wielders  of  the  paint-brush,  and  the 
more  ornate  dens  of  vice.  The  pendulum  of  life 
was  ever  swinging  here:  if  the  day  was  dull,  the 
night  made  up  for  it  in  clamor;  if  a  week  passed 
listlessly,  the  next  was  crowded  full  with  riot  and 
spending.  It  all  hung  on  the  coming  and  going  of 
those  reckless  riders  of  the  range.  When  the  dust 
rose  high  above  the  trail,  the  sleeping  parasites 
awoke  in  eager  anticipation,  and  set  their  traps  for 
the  victims  riding  in  so  gayly  to  their  fate. 

Mixed  Society  of  the  Cow-Towns 

How  the  vivid  memory  of  it  all  comes  back,  in- 
tensified rather  than  faded  by  the  years.  Society 
was  mixed,  no  man  cared  who  his  neighbor  was, 
no  man  ventured  to  question.  Of  women  worthy 
of  the  name  there  were  few, —  the  station-keeper's 
wife,  perhaps,  with  one  or  two  others, —  yet  the 
night  saw  flitting  female  forms  in  plenty,  and  the 
lights  of  the  saloons  displayed  powdered  cheeks 
and  painted  eyebrows.  It  was  a  strange,  restless, 

[338] 


BORDER  TOWNS 

commingled  population  enough  —  cowboys,  half- 
breeds,  desperadoes,  gamblers,  saloon-keepers,  mer- 
chants (generally  Jewish),  petty  officials,  and 
drunkards  by  profession.  The  town  was  an  eddy 
which  caught  odd  bits  of  driftwood,  such  as  only 
the  frontier  ever  knew.  Queer  characters  were 
everywhere,  wrecks  of  dissipation,  derelicts  of  the 
East,  seeking  nothing  save  oblivion.  Life  was 
cheap  in  the  midst  of  such  chaos,  and  all  the  dig- 
nity of  the  law  vested  itself  in  the  town  marshal 
or  the  sheriff.  He  ruled  not  through  any  terror  of 
courts  behind  him,  but  by  sheer  force  of  personality, 
and  an  acknowledged  ability  to  "  drop  "  his  man. 
The  position  was  no  sinecure,  and  he  who  held  it 
successfully  needed  to  be  a  man  of  nerve.  Early 
and  often  was  he  put  to  the  test,  and  any  failure 
to  "  make  good  "  was  his  official  death-knell.  Those 
who  "won  out"  through  such  trials  of  endurance 
were,  with  hardly  an  exception,  of  the  same  stripe 
—  cool,  quiet,  courageous  fellows,  just,  patient,  and 
fair  in  their  treatment  of  offenders,  but  quick  as  a 
steel  trap,  and  as  unyielding  in  fight  as  a  bulldog. 

The  first  requisite  for  any  man  who  would  pros- 
per in  a  cow-town  was  undoubtedly  "  sand."  Any 
one  permitting  himself  to  be  "  run  over,"  was  from 
that  moment  an  object  of  contempt,  and  sooner  or 
later  every  new  arrival  was  put  to  the  test,  and  la- 
belled accordingly.  If  he  "  made  good,"  his  future 
career  in  that  community  was  a  much  easier  road  to 
travel.  Every  border  town  in  those  days  was  cer- 
tain to  contain  its  bully,  or  "  bad  man."  He  was 

[339] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

generally  a  surly  desperado,  possibly  a  coward  at 
heart,  but  malicious  and  quarrelsome  when  in  li- 
quor. Not  infrequently  two,  or  more,  of  this 
interesting  class  partnered  together  in  search  for 
trouble.  Their  special  game  was  "  tenderfeet,"  or 
new  arrivals,  for  the  old  hands  were  not  so  easily 
dealt  with.  Yet  the  man  who  minded  his  own  busi- 
ness, and  kept  his  mouth  shut,  was  seldom  interfered 
with.  The  majority  of  the  gun-fights  so  prevalent 
in  those  days,  occurred  between  men  who  were 
hunting  for  trouble,  and  only  occasionally  was 
there  a  killing  in  which  the  victim  was  any  loss  to 
the  community. 

The  Druggist  and  the  Cow-Puncher 

A  stranger  soon  learned  that  every  man  who 
sported  a  "  gun,"  and  swaggered  about  with  pro- 
fane oaths  on  his  lips,  was  not  necessarily  coura- 
geous, and  the  first  feeling  of  awe  often  changed  to 
one  of  contempt.  The  average  "  bad  man  "  always 
sought  an  advantage;  "quick  on  the  draw,"  un- 
scrupulous, generally  provoking  the  quarrel,  he  took 
few  chances  of  injury.  Yet  it  was  not  always  easy 
to  distinguish  the  true  from  the  false.  In  a  cow- 
town  every  citizen  sported  his  gun,  and  there  was 
only  one  recognized  method  of  settling  a  difficulty. 
The  individual  must  defend  his  own  rights,  and 
the  man  who  won  respect  was  the  fellow  who  demon- 
strated himself  as  being  "  square,"  who  was  never 
out  hunting  trouble,  but  who  always  met  it  prompt- 
ly when  it  came.  Anecdotes  of  those  strenuous 

[340] 


BORDER  TOWNS 

days  are  numerous;  the  pages  of  writers  upon 
Western  history  and  romance  teem  with  them,  and 
facile  pens  have  thus  made  commonplace  bar-room 
roughs  into  frontier  heroes. 

The  Larger  Cattle-Towns 

The  larger  cattle-towns,  those  chosen  from  time 
to  time  during  its  western  migration  as  a  terminus 
for  the  Long  Trail,  were  merely  greater  and  more 
cosmopolitan  representatives  of  this  same  life. 
While  the  small  cow-town  attracted  the  reckless 
riders  of  the  neighboring  ranges,  the  more  exten- 
sive one  drew  to  itself  from  out  the  wide  distance 
the  entire  floating  population  of  the  border.  Here 
met  the  cattle-men  of  the  West  and  their  legions  of 
riders,  the  long  drive  ended,  and  their  pockets 
bulging  with  money  they  were  eager  to  spend. 
From  Nebraska  and  Texas,  the  Territory,  and  even 
New  Mexico  and  Colorado,  they  came  in,  driving 
before  them  vast  herds  of  dusty,  tired  cattle,  and 
already  intoxicated  with  dreams  of  joys  awaiting 
them.  And  the  joys  were  there,  the  dispensers 
ready  for  the  carnival.  From  dawn  to  dawn  the 
tireless  search  after  pleasure  continued.  The  bag- 
nios and  dance  halls  were  ablaze;  the  bar-rooms 
crowded  with  hilarious  or  quarrelsome  humanity; 
the  gaming-tables  alive  with  excitement.  Men 
swaggered  along  the  streets  looking  for  trouble, 
and  finding  it;  cowboys  rode  into  open  saloon  doors, 
and  drank  in  the  saddle;  troops  frenzied  with  liquor 
spurred  recklessly  along  the  streets  firing  into  the 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

air,  or  into  the  crowd,  as  their  whim  led  them ;  bands 
played  popular  airs  on  balconies,  and  "barkers" 
added  their  honeyed  invitations  to  the  din.  It  was 
a  saturnalia  of  vice,  a  babel  of  sound,  a  glimpse  of 
inferno.  Every  man  was  his  own  law,  and  the  gun 
the  arbiter  of  destiny.  The  town  marshal,  or  the 
sheriff,  with  a  few  cool-headed  deputies,  moved 
here  and  there  amid  the  chaos,  patient,  tireless,  un- 
daunted, seeking  merely  to  exercise  some  slight  re- 
straint. Never  again  can  such  sights  be  beheld; 
even  now  there  may  be  those  who  will  doubt  the 
truth  of  the  picture. 

Their  Riotousness 

Yet  town  after  town  passed  through  this  experi- 
ence, before  the  Long  Trail  finally  disappeared 
from  history.  Abilene,  Newton,  Wichita,  Ells- 
worth, Great  Bend,  and  Dodge,  each  in  turn,  wel- 
comed and  entertained  the  riotous  crew.  Out  of 
the  mystery  of  the  Great  Plains  they  came,  ripe  for 
mischief,  in  search  after  excitement,  and  the  thou- 
sands of  providers  flocked  to  give  them  greeting. 
Those  were  the  great  days  of  the  range,  days  when 
money  was  as  water,  and  the  cowman  reigned  as 
king ;  no  wonder  the  towns  that  entertained  him  were 
lively,  and  everything  "went"  at  the  end  of  the 
drive.  He  paid  for  his  fun ;  let  him  shoot  out  the  sa- 
loon lights,  and  demolish  the  bar — double  the  value 
would  be  given  when  he  sobered  up  and  remem- 
bered. When  men  would  order  a  hundred  dollars' 
worth  of  ham  and  eggs,  or  bathe  in  champagne,  the 

[342] 


BORDER  TOWNS 

ordinary  methods  of  the  effete  East  were  not  to  be 
considered.  The  cattle  country  had  its  own  stand- 
ard, as  it  had  its  own  vices.  The  men  who  made  it 
were  a  race  unto  themselves,  and  those  of  another 
generation  are  not  fitted  to  judge  them.  They  were 
good  and  bad;  nobility  was  no  stranger  along  the 
border,  and  a  friend  there  was  a  friend  to  death. 
Good  manhood  was  always  assured  of  respect,  and 
true  womanhood  revered.  Ours  the  failure  if  out 
of  the  chaos,  the  brutality  of  this  primitive  society, 
we  fail  to  discern  the  real  character  of  those  who 
dominated  it. 

Hough's  Pen-Picture  of  the  Cow-Town 

I  like  to  dwell  on  Hough's  appreciative  picture 
of  his  last  glimpse  of  the  typical  cow-town: 

"It  is  high  and  glaring  noon  in  the  little  town,  but  it  still 
sleeps.  In  their  cabins  some  of  the  men  have  not  yet  thrown 
off  their  blankets.  Along  the  one  long,  straggling  street  there 
are  few  persons  moving,  and  those  not  hastily.  Far  out  on  the 
plain  is  a  trail  of  dust  winding  along,  where  a  big  ranch  wagon 
is  coming  in.  Upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  town  a  second  and 
more  rapid  trail  tells  where  a  buckboard  is  coming,  drawn  by 
a  pair  of  trotting  ponies.  At  the  end  of  the  street,  just  com- 
ing up  from  the  arroyo,  is  the  figure  of  a  horseman  —  a  tall, 
slim  young  man  —  who  sits  straight  up  on  his  trotting  pony, 
his  gloved  hand  held  high  and  daintily,  his  bright  kerchief  just 
lopping  up  and  down  a  bit  at  his  neck  as  he  sits  the  jogging 
horse,  his  big  hat  pushed  back  a  little  over  his  forehead.  All 
these  low  buildings,  not  one  of  them  above  a  single  story,  are 
the  color  of  the  earth.  They  hold  to  the  earth  therefore  as 
though  they  belonged  there.  This  rider  is  also  in  his  garb  the 
color  of  the  earth,  and  he  fits  into  this  scene  with  perfect  right. 
He  also  belongs  there,  this  strong,  erect,  and  self-sufficient  figure. 
The  environment  has  produced  its  man." 

[343] 


CHAPTER  VI 
OUTLAWS  AND  DESPERADOES 

Varieties  of  the  Desperado 

THE  wide  extent  of  the  Plains,  the  free  un- 
trammelled life,  and  lack  of  law-enforcement, 
led  inevitably  to  the  development  of  the  outlaw. 
The  typical  "  bad  man  "  of  the  cattle-towns  was  not 
necessarily  in  this  class,  although  his  kind  was  very 
frequently  represented.  The  men  of  note  on  the 
border,  who  took  up  robbery  as  a  trade,  were  seldom 
brawlers,  and  almost  never  swaggered  through  the 
streets  posing  as  desperadoes.  They  were  of  a  far 
more  dangerous  species,  with  whom  action  spoke 
louder  than  words.  In  the  "  good  old  times "  there 
was  a  class  of  men  along  the  frontier  sufficiently 
large  to  be  seriously  reckoned  with ;  these  were  fugi- 
tives from  justice,  and  escaped  criminals.  They 
preferred  living  on  the  extreme  border,  were  always 
suspicious  of  strangers,  and  generally  ready  enough 
to  be  recruited  for  any  crime,  under  competent  lead- 
ership. Such  leadership  was  seldom  lacking. 

The  desperado  was  always  in  evidence  in  the 
cow-towns.  Often  he  was  only  a  blustering, 
intoxicated  coward;  but  some  of  his  class  were 
natural  fighters,  and  became  savages  in  their  desire 
for  notoriety  and  slaughter.  Usually  choosing 
"  tenderfeet"  as  being  easy  victims,  they  sometimes 
sought  after  harder  game.  Such  a  border  ruffian 

[344] 


OUTLAWS  AND  DESPERADOES 

has  been  known  to  travel  hundreds  of  miles  for  the 
purpose  of  having  a  fight  with  another  whose  fame 
as  a  dead  shot  rivalled  his  own.  At  one  time  a  dep- 
uty United  States  marshal  of  southern  Kansas,  a 
wonderful  two-handed  shooter  (that  is,  one  who 
could  use  a  revolver  equally  well  with  either  hand) , 
was  ordered  to  arrest  a  notorious  bully.  In  the  fusil- 
lade which  naturally  resulted  both  were  shot 
through  the  body.  Some  hours  later  the  dying  des- 
perado asked  how  the  marshal  was,  and  being  told 
he  could  not  live  until  morning,  expressed  himself 
as  satisfied.  "  I  'm  willing  to  die,"  he  said,  "  when 
I  can  take  along  with  me  the  best  pistol-shot  on  this 
frontier."  The  marshal  recovered. 

Julesburg  a  Notorious  Haunt  of  Desperadoes 

Through  all  the  years  of  its  earlier  existence 
Julesburg  was  celebrated  for  its  desperate  charac- 
ters. Twenty-four  hours  seldom  passed  without 
contributing  another  silent  occupant  to  Boots  Hill, 
the  famous  cemetery  where  every  sleeper  was  laid 
away  with  his  boots  on.  Homicide  was  performed 
in  the  most  genial  manner,  shooter  and  shootee  smil- 
ing pleasantly  into  each  other's  face.  Jack  Slade, 
who  had  charge  of  that  division  of  the  Overland 
stage  route,  was  probably  the  most  successful  as- 
sassin of  them  all.  Competent  authority  affirms  that 
he  was  guilty  of  having  murdered  in  cold  blood  over 
fifty  men,  sometimes  tying  them  to  a  stake,  as  he 
did  Old  Jules,  and  deliberately  practising  at  them 
with  a  pistol.  Yet  when  his  own  time  came  to  pay 

[3451 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

the  cost,  when  he  was  in  the  remorseless  hands  of 
Montana  vigilantes,  he  begged  on  his  knees,  crying 
and  whining  like  a  whipped  cur. 

Cattle-Stealing 

Next  to  homicide,  the  most  popular  crime  of 
the  border  was  probably  cattle-stealing.  There 
were,  at  different  times,  well  organized  bands  for 
the  robbery  of  mail-coaches ;  outlaws,  frequently 
disguised  as  Indians,  openly  attacked  emigrant 
trains  on  the  trail;  but  "rustling"  cattle  on  the 
Plains  apparently  had  the  greatest  attraction  for  the 
largest  number  of  the  reckless  and  depraved.  To 
a  cowboy  out  of  work,  or  chafing  under  authority, 
it  was  the  natural  outlet.  In  some  ways,  and  to  an 
accommodating  conscience,  it  scarcely  seemed  a 
crime  to  pick  up  an  unmarked  calf,  or  a  stray  cow 
wandering  along  in  some  sequestered  coulee,  and 
apply  a  branding  iron  in  claim  of  ownership.  This 
step  once  taken,  the  next  naturally  followed,  and  a 
deft  touch  of  the  hot  iron  easily  changed  one  brand 
into  another.  The  "  IO  "  brand  became  "  IOI,"  or 
even  ".HOB";  the  "  )  — (  "  mark  was  transformed 
into  "O— O";  or  the  "  V"  was  altered  into  "-£-." 
It  was  all  extremely  simple,  the  tools  necessary  were 
very  few,  and  the  changes  infinite.  At  the  end  of  a 
season,  with  the  final  spring  round-up,  the  enter- 
prising "  rustler"  had  a  nice  bunch  of  cattle  to  his 
credit  on  the  range,  and,  whatever  suspicion  might 
be  afloat,  there  was  no  direct  evidence  forthcoming. 

All  this  was  plain  sailing  at  the  start,  and  many 
a  great  fortune  in  the  cattle  business  was  begun  in 

[346] 


OUTLAWS  AND  DESPERADOES 

just  this  way.  Nor  were  those  early  "  rustlers "  very 
much  ashamed  of  their  trade.  If  they  stole,  it  was 
from  men  who,  strictly  speaking,  possessed  little 
property  except  what  they  had  likewise  stolen,  and 
held  by  force  of  arms.  The  great  companies  pros- 
pered on  free  grass  and  free  water,  which  they 
seized  and  guarded.  But  the  time  came  when  these 
large  owners  combined  for  the  purpose  of  crushing 
out  the  little  fellows.  This  was  done  with  the  inten- 
tion of  stopping  rustling,  but  it  increased  it  a  thou- 
sand fold.  Opposition  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  open 
rebellion  in  the  cow-puncher;  to  him  it  was  an 
invasion  of  rights  to  be  promptly  resented. 

Cattle  Thieves  become  the  Majority 

From  a  very  small  industry  cattle-stealing  be- 
came a  recognized  trade,  the  few  scattered  rustlers 
of  the  earlier  years  consolidating  into  organized 
bands,  with  assistants  everywhere.  More  than  once 
they  met  the  riders  of  the  big  ranges  in  open  battle, 
and  again  there  was  war  on  the  Great  Plains. 
Hough  writes : 

"The  rustler  was  a  cow-puncher,  and  one  of  the  best.  He 
understood  the  wild  trade  of  the  range  to  its  last  detail.  Among 
cow-punchers  there  were  men  naturally  dishonest,  and  these 
turned  to  illegal  rustling  as  matter  of  course.  They  were  joined 
by  the  loose  men  of  the  upper  country,  who  'were  not  there 
for  their  health,'  and  who  found  the  possibilities  of  the  cattle 
system  very  gratifying.  These  took  in  with  them,  sometimes 
almost  perforce  and  against  their  will,  often  at  least  against 
their  convictions,  some  cow-punchers  who  were  naturally  as 
honest  and  loyal  men  as  ever  lived.  To  understand  their  actions 
one  must  endeavor  to  comprehend  clearly  what  was  really  the 

[347] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

moral  code  of  that  time  and  that  country.  This  code  was  utterly 
different  from  that  of  the  old  communities.  Under  it  the  man 
who  branded  a  few  calves  for  himself  as  an  act  of  'getting 
even'  with  the  unjust  rules  of  the  large  cow  outfits  and  the  big 
Eastern  syndicates  was  not  lowered  in  the  least  in  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow-men,  but,  to  the  contrary,  was  regarded  as 
a  man  of  spirit,  and  therefore  entitled  to  the  rough  Western 
respect  which  had  no  eye  for  him  who  submitted  to  be  'imposed 
upon.'  " 

The  Vigilantes 

To  this  class,  struggling  for  what  they  deemed 
their  rights,  there  drifted  naturally  all  sorts  of  hard 
and  dissolute  characters  from  out  the  chaotic  popu- 
lation. All  that  were  lawless  along  the  frontier 
discovered  there  an  opportunity  for  crime,  and 
embraced  it  with  ardor.  The  more  recklessly  des- 
perate rose  to  leadership,  and  soon  attracted  a 
following  easily  turned  toward  unrestrained  out- 
lawry. Murder  and  open  robbery  were  committed ; 
stock  was  run  off  in  droves,  regardless  of  brand; 
horses  changed  owners  in  a  night;  and  no  man  hav- 
ing property  was  safe  from  attack.  Such  a  state  of 
affairs  could  not  last.  The  vigilantes  came  to  life,  for 
there  were  no  courts  to  deal  with  such  a  condition. 
The  work  was  thoroughly  accomplished.  In  the 
first  campaign  between  sixty  and  eighty  rustlers 
were  lynched.  On  one  morning  a  single  rail- 
road bridge  had  thirteen  corpses  swinging  from  it. 
The  struggle  for  supremacy  turned  northward;  it 
extended  through  years  far  beyond  the  limits  of  our 
story,  and  did  not  end  until  the  reign  of  the  rustler 
was  done.  "  In  the  ten  years  from  1876  to  1886  the 

[348] 


OUTLAWS  AND  DESPERADOES 

vigilantes  of  the  cattle  country,"  according  to 
Hough,  "  executed  as  many  men  in  Nebraska,  Da- 
kota, and  Montana  as  have  been  legally  executed  by 
the  law  in  any  dozen  States  in  all  the  time  since 
then." 

General  Lawlessness  on  the  Plains 

Throughout  the  entire  history  of  the  Plains  the 
bullying  desperado  of  the  town,  and  the  crime- 
stained  outlaw  of  the  open,  were  made  unduly  con- 
spicuous. From  the  times  when  the  half-breed 
Charles  Bent  and  his  band  of  "  dog  soldiers "  har- 
assed the  Santa  Fe  Trail,  until  those  later  days 
when  Sheriff  Pat  Garrett  killed  "  Billy  the  Kid"  at 
Fort  Sumner,  New  Mexico,  and  the  Dalton  boys 
were  met  by  rifles  at  CofTeeville,  Kansas,  the 
border  beheld  scenes  of  lawless,  fiendish  atrocity 
which  have  caused  the  many  to  forget  that  it  was 
really  peopled  and  won  by  law-abiding  men.  To 
enter  into  detail  would  result  merely  in  a  sickening 
record  of  robbed  and  wrecked  stages,  of  burned 
caravans,  of  emigrants  left  utterly  destitute  in  the 
wilderness,  of  mutilated  dead  bodies  beside  the 
trail,  of  savage,  revengeful  gun-fighting  in  bar- 
rooms or  midnight  streets,  and  the  mention  of  names 
utterly  without  merit  and  better  forgotten.  Such 
brawls  were  but  incidents  of  wild  life,  and  the  gath- 
ering together  of  such  a  heterogeneous  society.  Yet 
their  record  was  a  record  of  terror  scarcely  conceiv- 
able. "  Billy  the  Kid,"  a  mere  boy  of  twenty-two 
when  he  fell,  had  killed  in  cold  blood  more  than 
one  man  for  each  year  of  his  miserable  life.  Others 

[349] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

there  were  well  worthy  to  rank  beside  him  in  in- 
famy. Not  a  cow-town,  or  a  border  settlement  from 
the  Rio  Grande  to  the  Missouri  but  contained  its 
"  bad  men,"  its  stories  of  desperate  encounters,  its 
graveyards  where  the  short-lived  heroes  rested  in 
their  boots.  Some  had  turned  to  open  outlawry,  and 
their  hideous  careers  were  ended  by  the  rope  of  the 
vigilantes  or  the  rifles  of  some  sheriffs  posse ;  others 
died  before  the  quick  fire  of  cool-eyed  city  marshals, 
or  by  the  lead  of  opponents  in  their  own  class.  Let 
them  lie  and  moulder  into  forgetfulness  —  "Bad 
Eye"  Connelly,  "Pistol"  Hicks,  Jim  McCabe, 
"  Three-fingered  Pete,"  and  all  the  rest  of  the  riot- 
ous, blaspheming  murderers.  Dust  they  were,  to 
dust  they  have  returned,  and  to  each  in  turn  there 
came  the  moment  and  the  man.  The  wages  of  sin 
is  death. 

The  Sheriffs  and  Marshals 

But  there  were  other  gun-fighters  in  those  days: 
men  enlisted  on  the  side  of  right  and  order;  men 
who  met  these  boasting  desperadoes  on  their  own 
chosen  ground  and  whipped  them  to  a  standstill ; 
cool-eyed,  resourceful,  nervy  men,  making  no  blus- 
ter, but  shooting  straight — the  sheriffs  and  marshals 
of  the  West.  Among  these  were  to  be  found  scoun- 
drels and  cowards,  who  were  outlaws  in  disguise 
and  sympathizers  with  criminals,  but  not  many. 
Night  after  night,  day  after  day,  in  the  mad  riot  of 
the  cow-towns,  where  every  man  was  a  walking 
arsenal ;  or  out  on  the  wide  Plains  amid  the  loneli- 
ness and  silence,  these  selected  representatives  of 

[350] 


OUTLAWS  AND  DESPERADOES 

law  and  order  upheld  their  authority  by  their  own 
strength  of  character,  and  their  quickness  on  the 
trigger.  They  were  the  law,  and  their  sole  authority 
was  the  ready  "  gun  "  swinging  on  the  hip.  Angels 
were  not  chosen  for  such  a  post;  in  some  cases  they 
had  stepped  forth  from  the  very  ranks  of  the  vicious, 
but  they  generally  "  made  good,"  and  proved  worthy 
of  the  trust  imposed. 

William  Hickock,  a  Typical  Upholder  of  the  Law 

The  names  of  such  men  are  many, —  not  a  few 
of  them  died  in  discharge  of  their  duty, —  but  the 
most  famous  along  the  border  was  William  Hic- 
kock (Wild  Bill),  who  for  years  ruled  the  destiny 
of  several  of  the  hardest  of  the  Kansas  towns.  The 
story  of  his  life  on  the  Plains,  while  more  remark- 
able in  some  respects  than  that  of  others  of  his  class, 
yet  is  sufficiently  typical  to  bring  before  the  reader 
a  vivid  pen-picture  of  the  deeds  and  the  men  who 
then  upheld  law  along  the  border.  William  Hic- 
kock was  born  in  Illinois,  but  ran  away  from  home 
when  little  more  than  a  boy,  and  found  his  way  out 
to  the  Plains.  For  fifteen  years  he  lived  among  the 
trappers  and  hunters,  sharing  in  their  wild,  free 
life;  later  he  became  teamster  and  scout;  and  when 
the  Civil  War  broke  out  he  promptly  enlisted  in  the 
Union  army.  As  a  soldier  he  was  almost  constantly 
detailed  as  scout,  and  saw  hard  service  both  with  the 
army  of  the  Frontier,  and  the  forces  operating  along 
the  Mississippi.  During  this  period  his  adventures 
between  the  lines,  and  hairbreadth  escapes  from 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

death,  verged  upon  the  marvellous,  and  he  won  the 
commendation  of  his  superiors.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  Bill  drifted  again  to  the  frontier,  his  nature 
craving  the  excitement  of  that  kind  of  life.  Here  he 
accepted  such  work  as  came  his  way,  but  proved 
himself  specially  useful  as  a  Government  scout. 
Fame  came  to  him,  however,  while  officiating  as 
marshal  in  such  cow-towns  as  Abilene,  Hays  City, 
and  Dodge.  Cool,  quiet  in  manner,  never  quarrel- 
some or  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  absolutely 
without  fear,  and  a  dead  shot,  he  never  failed  to 
arrest  or  else  to  kill  his  man,  and  his  name  became 
a  terror  to  the  desperadoes  of  the  entire  border. 
How  many  fell  before  his  unerring  aim  is  not 
known,  but  he  fought  fair,  and  he  stood  for  law  and 
order.  He  was  a  necessity  of  his  time  and  environ- 
ment. 

His  Physique  and  Prowess 

In  his  prime  Wild  Bill  was  a  magnificent  speci- 
men of  a  man  —  a  warm-hearted,  loyal  friend,  but 
a  persistent,  tireless  enemy.  He  stood  six  feet  and 
an  inch  in  his  moccasins,  perfectly  proportioned, 
graceful  and  quick  in  movement,  with  remarkable 
depth  and  breadth  of  chest.  His  eyes  were  dark 
gray,  their  expression  generally  soft  and  pleasing  but 
capable  of  hardening;  his  lips  were  thin  and  sensi- 
tive, the  jaw  not  too  square,  the  cheek  bones  slightly 
prominent  He  wore  his  dark  hair  long,  flowing  to 
the  shoulders.  The  border  never  produced  a  finer 
pistol-shooter,  he  being  equally  quick  and  accurate 
with  either  hand,  firing  apparently  without  aim,  his 

[352] 


OUTLAWS  AND  DESPERADOES 

movements  like  lightning.  But  he  shot  to  kill.  For 
years  he  walked  in  the  shadow  of  death,  facing  again 
and  again  the  most  dangerous  men  of  the  border, 
with  hundreds  eager  to  kill  him  on  sight,  ruling  the 
hardest  towns  the  world  ever  knew  by  his  nerve  and 
his  quickness  on  the  trigger.  His  two  most  famous 
affairs  were  his  duel  with  Dave  Tutt,  and  his  single- 
handed  fight  with  a  desperado  named  M'Kandlas 
and  nine  of  his  gang. 

His  Two  Most  Famous  Fights 

The  first  affair  occurred  at  Webb  City,  Mis- 
souri. Tutt,  a  discharged  Confederate  soldier  and 
"bad  man,"  deliberately  picked  a  quarrel  with 
Hickock  on  account  of  an  old  score.  Bill  tried  to 
stave  off  trouble,  but  Tutt's  friends  kept  daring  him 
to  fight,  and  finally  the  two  men  met  in  the  public 
square.  Both  drew  and  fired  at  the  same  instant, 
but  Bill,  without  waiting  to  see  the  result  of  his 
shot,  wheeled,  and,  with  smoking  revolver  covered 
Tutt's  friends.  Tutt  fell,  the  bullet  lodging  in  his 
brain. 

The  fight  with  M'Kandlas  was  one  of  the  most 
desperate  encounters  in  the  annals  of  the  border.  It 
ocurred  in  southern  Nebraska,  near  the  Kansas  line, 
Bill  being  attacked  by  the  ten  armed  men  in  a  set- 
tler's cabin.  The  lone  man  killed  five  of  them  with 
gun  and  pistol  before  they  succeeded  in  breaking  in 
and  getting  hands  upon  him.  Then  it  was  fists  and 
knives.  His  own  description  runs : 

"  Two  of  them  fired  their  bird  guns  at  me,  and  then  I  felt 

[353] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

a  sting  run  all  over  me.  The  room  was  full  of  smoke.  Two 
got  in  close  to  me,  their  eyes  glaring  out  of  the  clouds.  One  I 
knocked  down  with  my  fist.  The  second  I  shot  dead.  The 
other  three  clutched  me,  and  crowded  me  onto  the  bed.  I 
fought  hard.  I  broke  with  my  hand  one  man's  arm.  He  had 
his  fingers  round  my  throat.  Before  I  could  get  to  my  feet  I 
was  struck  across  the  breast  with  the  stock  of  a  rifle,  and  I 
felt  the  blood  rushing  out  of  my  nose  and  mouth.  Then  I  got 
ugly,  and  remember  that  I  got  hold  of  a  knife,  and  then  it  was 
all  cloudy  like,  and  I  was  wild,  and  I  struck  savage  blows, 
following  the  devils  up  from  one  side  to  the  other  of  the  room 
and  into  the  corners,  striking  and  slashing  until  I  knew  that 
every  one  was  dead.  All  of  a  sudden  it  seemed  as  if  my  heart 
was  on  fire.  I  was  bleeding  everywhere.  I  rushed  out  to  the 
well  and  drank  from  the  bucket,  and  then  tumbled  down  in  a 
faint." 

He  had  eleven  buckshot  in  him,  and  was  cut  in 
thirteen  places,  but  had  wiped  out  the  M'Kandlas 
gang.  It  was  years  later,  and  far  up  in  the  Black 
Hills,  that  Wild  Bill  was  treacherously  shot  to 
death,  the  ball  being  fired  into  the  back  of  his  head 
as  he  sat  at  a  card  table. 


CHAPTER  VII 
FRONTIER  SCOUTS  AND  GUIDES 

Some  Famous   Scouts 

THE  West  owes  much  to  those  hardy  men  who, 
usually  from  mere  love  of  adventure,  wan- 
dered alone  or  in  small  companies  across  the  wilder- 
ness, ever  in  advance  of  the  settlements  and  the 
troops,  exploring  the  unknown,  tracing  nameless 
rivers,  uncovering  hidden  water  holes  in  the  grim 
desert,  penetrating  to  every  nook  and  corner  of  the 
Great  Plains  and  the  mountains  beyond,  discover- 
ing the  haunts  of  Indians,  the  routes  which  the 
wheels  of  caravans  could  follow  with  greatest  safety, 
the  best  camping  spots,  the  scattered  places  where 
wood  and  water  were  certain  to  be  found.  To  such 
as  these  —  the  scouts  and  guides  of  the  frontier  — 
every  prairie  traveller,  every  incoming  settler,  every 
officer  riding  at  the  head  of  his  troop  and  seeking 
the  savage  foe  owed  gratitude. 

The  names  of  many  of  these  men  became  re- 
nowned upon  the  Plains,  and  deserve  remembrance 
by  this  generation.  Such  were  Uncle  John  Smith, 
Kit  Carson,  Jim  Bridger,  James  P.  Beckwourth, 
Uncle  Dick  Wooton,  Jim  Baker,  Lucian  B.  Max- 
well, Old  Bill  Williams,  Tom  Tobin,  and  James 
Hobbs,  among  the  old-timers;  and  W.  F.  Cody, 
Wm.  Hickock,  California  Joe,  Dick  Cherry,  and 
Amos  Chapman,  of  a  later  generation.  By  daring, 

[355] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

endurance,  resourcefulness,  and  constant  devotion 
to  duty  these  men  have  won  fame  that  will  endure  in 
the  history  of  the  Plains.  Tireless  as  the  Indian, 
knowing  their  traits,  characteristics,  habits;  reading 
the  secrets  of  the  Plains  like  an  open  book,  careless 
of  personal  danger,  and  inured  to  loneliness,  they 
remained  on  the  skirmish  line  of  civilization,  and  of 
many  of  them  the  fate  is  unknown. 

A  Few  Whose  Fame  will  Endure 

The  scouts  of  the  frontier  were  numerous,  yet  in 
actual  service  only  a  few  proved  really  valuable. 
Those  who  rose  out  of  the  ruck  did  so  through  sheer 
ability,  and  have  been  honored  in  the  reports  of  the 
army  officers  they  guided  in  arduous  campaigns  of 
war  or  exploration.  They  became  famous  through- 
out the  length  and  breadth  of  the  frontier.  It  was 
the  reports  of  Fremont  that  lifted  Kit  Carson  from 
obscurity;  Custer  made  the  fame  of  California  Joe; 
Merritt  and  Carr  gave  wide  spread  to  the  reputa- 
tions of  Wild  Bill  and  Buffalo  Bill.  The  names 
of  these  few  Plains  celebrities  now  belong  to  the 
history  of  their  country. 

John  Smith 

There  were  few  plainsmen  who  did  not  know 
one  or  all  of  these  great  pathfinders,  and  deem  the 
knowledge  worthy  of  a  boast.  Uncle  John  Smith 
ranged  from  the  Yellowstone  to  the  Gila,  and  from 
the  upper  Missouri  to  the  Rio  Grande;  not  an  In- 
dian tribe  but  had  held  him  guest,  scarcely  a  stream 

[356] 


»•• 


AP  *& 


THE  FAMOUS  SCOUT,  TRAPPER,   AND  PLAINSMAN 


FRONTIER   SCOUTS  AND   GUIDES 

along  whose  waters  he  had  not  trapped.  In  1826, 
when  a  mere  boy,  he  ran  away  from  home  and 
joined  a  party  of  Santa  Fe  traders,  and  ever  after- 
wards the  wilderness  held  him  captive.  He  mar- 
ried a  Cheyenne  squaw,  spoke  four  Indian  dialects, 
besides  French  and  Spanish,  and  ruled  like  an  auto- 
crat the  Indian  trade  of  the  Western  Plains.  As 
late  as  1869,  when  he  was  an  old  man,  he  was  one 
of  Sheridan's  most  trusted  guides,  competent,  tire- 
less, unerring  as  a  bloodhound  on  the  trail.  His  life 
had  been  one  constant  adventure ;  and  when  in  con- 
genial company  he  would  recount  for  hours  the 
stirring  events  of  his  career.  His  facial  resem- 
blance to  President  Andrew  Johnson  was  remark- 
able, and  led  to  some  amusing  incidents. 

Kit  Carson 

Kit  Carson  was  on  the  Plains  and  in  the  moun- 
tains for  forty-two  years,  and  his  name  will  always 
stand  forth  preeminent  among  famous  frontiersmen. 
In  turn  a  trader,  a  hunter,  a  free  trapper,  a  scout 
for  the  army,  a  guide  to  explorers  and  to  travelling 
caravans,  and  finally  a  Colonel  of  Volunteer  Cav- 
alry, he  had  a  wider  experience  than  any  of  his 
contemporaries.  His  was  a  life  of  hairbreadth  es- 
capes, of  endless  adventure,  marvellous  activity  and 
usefulness.  For  eight  years  he  was  the  hunter  at 
Bent's  Fort,  and  all  the  Plains  Indians,  as  well  as 
the  Utes  of  the  mountains,  knew  him  well,  and 
feared  and  respected  him.  Many  a  time  did  he 
avert  war  by  his  influence  in  the  lodges ;  but  when  it 

[357] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

came,  no  man  ever  met  it  more  promptly.  As  a' 
sign-talker  he  had  few  if  any  superiors,  and  as  a 
trailer  he  very  seldom  lost  track  of  those  pursued. 
Inman,  who  knew  him  well,  thus  sums  up  his  char- 
acteristics : 

"  Carson's  nature  was  made  up  of  some  very  noble  attributes. 
He  was  brave  but  not  reckless;  a  veritable  exponent  of  Chris- 
tian altruism,  and  as  true  to  his  friends  as  the  needle  to  the  pole. 
Under  the  average  stature,  and  rather  delicate-looking  in  his 
physical  proportions,  he  was,  nevertheless,  a  quick,  wiry  man, 
with  nerves  of  steel,  and  possessing  an  indomitable  will.  He 
was  full  of  caution,  but  showed  a  coolness  in  the  moment  of 
supreme  danger  that  was  good  to  witness." 

While  he  was  visiting  at  Fort  Lyon,  Colorado, 
in  1868,  an  artery  in  his  neck  was  ruptured,  causing 
his  death.  Thus  passed  away  the  most  famous 
frontiersman  of  the  Great  Plains.  His  burial  place 
was  at  Taos,  New  Mexico,  where  he  had  long  made 
his  home. 

Jim  Bridger 

Jim  Bridger  began  his  experience  on  the  Plains 
with  Ashley's  great  trapping  expedition.  During 
his  years  of  frontier  life  he  became  the  peer  of  the 
best  among  mountaineers  and  plainsmen.  Unedu- 
cated by  the  schools,  ignorant  of  all  social  conven- 
tionalities, he  yet  possessed  a  heart  overflowing  with 
the  milk  of  human  kindness,  was  generous,  honest, 
and  loyal  to  his  friends.  His  most  important  serv- 
ices were  rendered  as  scout  and  guide  during  the 
early  surveys  for  the  first  transcontinental  railroad, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  he  was  in  Government 
employ  guiding  army  detachments  in  Indian  cam- 

[358] 


FRONTIER  SCOUTS  AND   GUIDES 

paigns.  No  man  of  his  time  knew  the  northern 
Plains,  or  the  mountains  beyond  so  thoroughly  as 
he,  and  it  was  his  eyes  that  first  looked  out  upon 
Great  Salt  Lake  the  Winter  of  1824-25.  Bridger, 
after  a  life  of  wild  adventure,  transcending  fiction, 
died  and  was  buried  at  Westport,  Missouri. 

The  resemblance  of  John  Smith  to  President 
Andrew  Johnson  has  been  mentioned  above.  Inman 
relates  that  once,  when  the  President  in  his  "  swing 
around  the  circle"  had  arrived  at  St.  Louis  and  was 
riding  through  the  streets  of  that  city  in  an  open 
barouche,  he  was  pointed  out  to  Bridger,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  in  the  city.  But  the  venerable  guide 
and  scout,  with  supreme  disgust  depicted  on  his 
countenance  at  the  idea  of  any  one  attempting  to  de- 
ceive him,  only  exclaimed:  "  Hell!  Bill,  you  can't 
fool  me!  That  's  Old  John  Smith."  On  another 
occasion,  discovered  by  a  friend  sitting  on  a  dry- 
goods  box  in  one  of  St.  Louis's  narrow  streets,  the 
old  frontiersman  thus  relieved  his  feelings :  "  I've 
been  settin'  in  this  infernal  canyon  ever  sence 
mornin',  waitin'  fer  some  one  to  come  along  an' 
invite  me  to  take  a  drink.  Hundreds  o'  fellers  has 
passed  both  ways,  but  none  of  'em  has  opened  his 
head.  I  never  seen  sich  a  onsociable  crowd." 

Bridger  acted  as  guide  for  Sir  George  Gore  on 
his  famous  hunting  trip  in  1855-57,  during 
which  the  party  killed  over  forty  grizzly  bears, 
twenty-five  hundred  buffalo,  and  an  unknown  quan- 
tity of  smaller  game.  Gore  had  with  him  fifty 
helpers,  including  secretaries,  steward,  cooks,  fly- 

[359] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

makers,  dog-tenders,  and  personal  servants.  His 
was  one  of  the  strangest  outfits  ever  seen  on  the 
Plains.  During  their  trip  the  baronet  gave  Bridger 
a  copy  of  the  adventures  of  Baron  Munchausen  to 
read.  After  painfully  deciphering  the  text  the 
frontiersman  confessed  that  he  'd  be  "  dog'oned  ef  he 
swallowed  everything  that  thar  Baron  Munchausen 
said,"  and  thought  he  was  a  "  darned  liar";  yet  he 
acknowledged  that  some  of  his  own  adventures 
would  be  equally  marvellous  "  if  writ  down  in  a 
book." 

Jim  Baker 

Jim  Baker  ranked  well  up  with  these  others  as 
plainsman  and  mountaineer.  Next  to  Carson  he 
was  Fremont's  most  valued  scout.  An  Illinoisan, 
he  was  eighteen  years  old  before  he  appeared  on  the 
Plains  as  an  employee  of  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany, So  far  as  known,  he  was  never  again  east  of 
the  Missouri.  Having  married  a  Snake  Indian,  and 
passed  much  of  his  life  in  the  company  of  savages, 
he  imbibed  many  of  their  superstitions  and  habits. 
When  off  duty  he  drank  heavily,  and  wasted  the 
money  won  by  his  successful  trapping.  Bent's  Fort 
on  the  Arkansas  became  his  chosen  outfitting  point, 
but  for  months  at  a  time  he  would  disappear  in  the 
wilderness.  So  successful  was  he  in  snaring  wild 
game  that  in  a  single  season  he  sold  nine  thousand 
dollars'  worth  of  fur.  The  stories  told  of  his  prowess 
in  fight  are  numberless,  and  his  friend  General 
Marcy,  of  the  United  States  Army,  made  the  old 

[360] 


FRONTIER   SCOUTS  AND   GUIDES 

fellow  famous  in  the  pages  of  his  books  on  border 
life. 

Jim  Beckwourth  and  Others 

Jim  Beckwourth  was  one  of  the  odd  characters 
of  the  wild  West.  He  was  a  mulatto  of  medium 
height  but  great  muscular  power,  and  no  man  in 
mountains  or  on  Plains  ever  led  a  more  adventurous 
life.  He  was  hunter,  trapper,  trader,  scout,  and  In- 
dian-fighter, and,  being  a  born  leader  of  men,  he 
became  head-chief  of  a  great  tribe  of  savages,  the 
Crows.  Historians  have,  seen  him  from  vastly  dif- 
ferent viewpoints.  Parkman  wrote :  "  He  is  a 
ruffian  of  the  worst  class ;  bloody  and  treacherous, 
without  honor  or  honesty;  such,  at  least,  is  the  char- 
acter he  bears  on  the  Great  Plains.  Yet  in  his  case 
the  standard  rules  of  character  fail;  for  though  he 
will  stab  a  man  in  his  slumber,  he  will  also  do  the 
most  desperate  and  daring  acts."  This  statement  is 
not  upheld  by  those  who  knew  him  intimately  — 
Carson,  Maxwell,  and  the  Bents.  To  them  he  ap- 
peared the  most  honest  of  all  Indian  traders,  and  a 
man  to  be  trusted  in  any  emergency.  He  first  went 
to  the  mountains  with  Ashley  in  1825.  It  is  true 
that  his  fame  largely  rests  on  his  published  biog- 
raphy, some  of  it  no  doubt  true,  but  much  going  to 
prove  him  a  "charming  liar." 

Uncle  Dick  Wooton  passed  his  life  on  the  Plains 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail,  along 
which  he  first  passed  at  nineteen  as  teamster  in  a 
trading  caravan.  He  became  noted  as  an  Indian- 

[361] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

fighter,  and  from  his  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
entire  Southwest.  Bent's  Fort  was  his  rendezvous 
for  several  years,  where  he  was  a  great  favorite,  not 
only  because  of  his  prowess  in  the  field,  but  because 
of  his  fund  of  anecdote  about  the  camp-fire.  His 
earliest  encounter  with  Indians  occurred  at  the  cross- 
ing of  Pawnee  Fork,  and  later  he  had  another  se- 
vere fight  on  the  same  spot.  In  1866  Wooton  built 
a  log  house  in  the  Raton  Pass,  and  remained  there 
until  his  death,  collecting  toll  from  those  travellers 
who  used  the  road  he  had  made  across  the  moun- 
tains. Frequently  he  was  obliged  to  extract  pay  at 
the  muzzle  of  his  rifle,  but  very  few  ever  got  by  him 
scot-free.  He  died  at  the  age  of  ninety,  and  many 
of  his  adventures  have  found  record  in  the  pages  of 
Inman. 

Old  Bill  Williams,  the  guide  who  led  Fremont 
astray  on  his  last  expedition,  was  a  unique  char- 
acter. He  had  been  a  Methodist  preacher  in  the 
East,  but  was  on  the  Plains  long  before  Kit  Carson 
left  the  Missouri.  No  man  knew  the  mountains 
better,  unless  it  was  Jim  Bridger.  A  man  of  educa- 
tion, he  easily  mastered  the  different  languages  of 
the  tribes,  but  to  both  Indians  and  Mexicans  he  re- 
mained an  unsolvable  riddle  and  a  terror.  As  a 
trader  he  was  a  total  failure,  and  many  of  his  com- 
panions considered  him  partially  insane,  although 
a  brave,  warm-hearted,  and  generous  man.  He  was 
finally  killed  by  Indians. 

James  Hobbs  had  a  remarkable  career  during 
his  long  life  on  the  frontier.  He  was  for  years  a 

[362] 


JAMES  P.   BECKWOURTH 

AN  EARLY  CALIFORNIAN  FAMOUS  AS  TRAPPER   AND  SCOUT 


FRONTIER  SCOUTS  AND  GUIDES 

prisoner  among  the  Indians,  a  soldier  in  the  war 
with  Mexico,  an  officer  in  the  revolt  against  Maxi- 
milian, an  Indian-fighter,  miner,  trapper,  trader, 
and  Government  scout. 

Tom  Tobin  was  the  last  of  these  famous  trappers 
and  hunters  of  the  old  regime  to  pass  away.  He 
was  a  quick-tempered  Irishman,  under  the  average 
stature  and  red-faced,  always  ready  for  fight  or 
frolic.  He  was  present  at  most  of  the  famous  In- 
dian battles  of  the  early  explorers ;  but  his  greatest 
achievement  was  killing  the  notorious  Mexican 
bandit  Espinosa  in  a  desperate  hand-to-hand  con- 
flict in  1864. 

William  F.  Cody  and  Amos  Chapman 

William  F.  Cody  (Buffalo  Bill)  and  Amos 
Chapman  were  the  best-known  bordermen  of  later 
days,  and  were  worthy  to  rank  with  those  mentioned 
above.  Cody  began  his  career  on  the  Plains  as  a 
mere  boy  on  a  caravan  trip  to  Santa  Fe,  became 
teamster  on  a  "  bull "  train,  driver  on  the  Overland, 
and  Pony  Express  rider  before  he  was  of  age.  As 
early  as  1863  ne  was  employed  as  guide  and  scout 
for  an  expedition  against  the  Kiowas  and  Co- 
manches,  and  later  carried  despatches  straight 
through  the  hostile  Indian  country  between  Forts 
Lyon  and  Larned.  A  great  many  of  his  adventures, 
including  his  desperate  duel  with  Yellow  Hand,  a 
Cheyenne  chief,  have  been  told  in  the  books  in 
which  he  collaborated  with  Colonel  Inman.  His 
famous  appellation  was  won  during  employment  as 

[363] 


THE   GREAT  PLAINS 

a  hunter  for  the  Kansas  Pacific  Construction  Com- 
pany in  1867-68.  In  less  than  eighteen  months  he 
killed  nearly  five  thousand  buffalo,  which  were 
eaten  by  the  twelve  hundred  workmen  employed  in 
track-laying. 

Amos  Chapman  was  fifteen  years  in  Govern- 
ment employ  as  scout  on  the  Plains.  During  this 
life  of  constant  peril  and  exposure  one  of  his  most 
heroic  acts  occurred  while  he  was  bearing  de- 
spatches for  General  Miles  from  his  camp  on 
McClellan  Creek  to  Camp  Supply,  I.  T.  The  de- 
spatch party  consisted  of  six  men.  Early  in  the 
morning,  after  a  hard  night's  ride,  they  were  sud- 
denly attacked  near  the  Washita  River  by  a  band  of 
over  a  hundred  Kiowa  and  Comanche  warriors. 
Colonel  Dodge  thus  describes  what  followed: 

"  The  first  intimation  of  the  presence  of  Indians  was  a 
volley  which  wounded  every  man  of  the  party.  In  an  instant 
the  Indians  appeared  on  all  sides.  Dismounting  and  abandoning 
their  horses,  the  brave  band  moved  together  for  a  hundred  yards 
to  a  buffalo  wallow,  a  shallow  natural  depression  in  the  prairie. 
Chapman  and  Dixon,  being  but  slightly  wounded,  worked  hard 
and  fast  to  deepen  this  depression,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  suffi- 
ciently deep  to  afford  some  cover  it  was  occupied  and  the  work 
continued  from  within.  Smith  had  fallen  from  his  horse  at  the 
first  fire  and  was  supposed  to  be  dead.  .  .  . 

"  Chapman  said,  '  Now,  boys,  keep  those  infernal  redskins  off 
me,  and  I  will  run  down  and  pick  up  Smith,  and  bring  him  back 
before  they  can  get  at  me.'  Laying  down  his  rifle,  he  sprang  out 
of  the  buffalo  wallow,  ran  with  all  speed  to  Smith,  seized  and 
attempted  to  shoulder  him.  .  .  .  '  I  laid  down,'  said  Chap- 
man, 'and  got  his  chest  across  my  back,  and  his  arms  around  my 
neck  and  then  got  up  with  him.  It  was  as  much  as  I  could  do 
to  stagger  under  him,  for  he  could  n't  help  himself  a  bit.  By  the 

[364] 


FRONTIER  SCOUTS  AND   GUIDES 

time  I  had  got  twenty  or  thirty  yards,  about  fifteen  Indians  came 
for  me  at  full  speed  of  their  ponies.'  " 

The  boys  in  the  buffalo  wallow  opened  on  the  Indians  and 
Amos  ran  for  it. 

"  *  When  I  was  in  about  twenty  yards  of  the  wallow/  he 
continued,  'a  little  old  scoundrel  that  I  had  fed  fifty  times  rode 
almost  on  to  me  and  fired.  I  fell  with  Smith  on  top  of  me,  but 
as  I  did  n't  feel  pain,  I  thought  I  had  stepped  in  a  hole.  The 
Indians  could  n't  stay  around  there  a  minute,  the  boys  kept  it 
red-hot,  so  I  jumped  up,  picked  up  Smith,  and  got  safe  in  the 
wallow.  Amos,'  said  Dixon,  '  you  are  badly  hurt.'  '  No,  I  am 
not,'  said  I.  '  Why,  look  at  your  leg,'  and  sure  enough,  the  leg 
was  shot  off  just  above  the  ankle-joint,  and  I  had  been  walking 
on  the  bone  dragging  the  foot  behind  me,  and  in  the  excitement 
I  never  knew  it,  nor  have  I  ever  had  any  pain  in  my  leg  to  this 
day.'  " 


CHAPTER  VIII 
MUSHROOM  TOWNS 

General  Description 

AN  INTERESTING  phenomenon  of  Plains 
settlement,  perhaps  without  parallel  else- 
where, were  those  strange  towns  which  sprang  up 
in  a  night  wherever  the  advancing  railway  paused, 
and  which  passed  away  as  suddenly  with  the  further 
extension  of  the  rails,  leaving  scarcely  a  trace  be- 
hind. The  peculiarity  of  the  conditions  under 
which  these  earliest  overland  roads  were  constructed 
made  such  mushroom  towns  inevitable,  and  the  na- 
ture of  their  population  served  to  render  them  suf- 
ficiently picturesque.  Stretching  boldly  forth  into 
an  uninhabited  and  barren  waste,  to  which  every 
pound  of  material  required  and  every  man  em- 
ployed had  to  be  transported,  the  end  of  the  track, 
both  on  the  Union  Pacific  and  the  Kansas  Pacific, 
became  of  necessity  a  great  temporary  distributing 
point,  full  of  unceasing  activity  and  a  feverish, 
throbbing  life.  Money  was  plentiful,  and  no  re- 
straints of  home  kept  the  restless  inhabitants  within 
bounds.  Rough  characters  of  all  descriptions 
eagerly  flocked  to  each  such  temporary  terminus, 
certain  of  reaping  a  quick  harvest.  Shacks  and 
tents,  rude  structures  of  board,  or  even  sod,  sprang 
up  like  magic  on  the  bare  prairie,  and  scarcely  had 
the  decree  gone  forth  that  here  the  railroad  would 

[366] 


MUSHROOM   TOWNS 

pause  for  a  while,  ere  the  spot  teemed  with  human- 
ity, and  a  new  "city"  appeared  in  the  twinkling  of 
an  eye.  Few  of  such  cities  survived ;  scarcely  half 
a  dozen  of  them  yet  remain.  They  all  flourished  a 
month,  some  of  them  six,  revelling  in  sin  and  law- 
lessness, only  to  pass  away  utterly  from  the  face  of 
the  earth. 

Historians  have  never  considered  this  chapter 
of  frontier  life  worthy  their  pens,  yet  it  deserves 
picturing  as  illustrative  of  how  civilization  first 
penetrated  the  wilds.  A  writer  in  Harper's  Maga- 
zine, who  had  been  connected  with  the  building  of 
the  Kansas  Pacific,  embodied  his  remembrance  of 
those  days  in  an  article  from  which  I  extract  much 

material. 

Coyote 

To  the  railroad  belonged  the  task  of  rescuing 
from  oblivion  towns  which  were,  but  are  not. 
Coyote  was  such  a  town,  the  temporary  terminus 
in  1868.  Nothing  could  be  more  dreary  than  its 
environment,  on  every  side  the  monotonous  roll- 
ing Plains  meeting  the  cloudless  sky.  The  town  it- 
self was  a  crazy  street  of  shanties;  its  inhabitants  a 
mob  of  uncouth  men  flung  down  among  the  buffa- 
loes. Where  they  originally  came  from  was  a  prob- 
lem, but  the  majority  had  drifted  into  Coyote  from 
some  other  mushroom  town  a  hundred  miles  to  the 
east.  They  brought  with  them  their  dwellings,  their 
stores,  the  few  necessaries  of  life.  The  new  home 
was  made  in  a  day,  and  was  old  in  a  night.  Canvas 
saloons,  sheet-iron  hotels,  sod  dwellings,  discarded 

[367] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

tin  cans,  and  scattered  playing-cards  littered  the 
ground.  The  cards  were  apparently  numberless  and 
always  in  evidence.  Says  the  writer  in  Harper's 
Magazine: 

"Before  the  breath  of  the  north  wind  they  would  rise  into 
air,  the  queens  dancing  like  so  many  witches  in  effigy,  as  close 
over  the  smooth  surface  they  fled  south.  A  few  moments,  and 
the  barren  earth  would  be  swept  clean,  while  the  pasteboards, 
accompanied  by  stray  newspapers  and  old  hats,  were  flutter- 
ing, like  a  flight  of  white  birds,  out  of  sight.  Three  days,  the 
usual  life  of  a  full-grown  prairie  gale,  might  pass,  and  then, 
as  the  north  wind  met  the  forces  of  the  south,  the  tenantless 
air  became  alive  again.  Far  off  on  the  heel  of  the  vanquished 
and  the  crest  of  the  victor  wind,  came  the  white-winged  coveys 
of  cards,  like  the  curses  of  the  proverb,  on  their  way  home  to 
roost.  At  nightfall  they  had  collected  beside  the  track  and 
among  the  houses,  and  were  again  as  thick  as  leaves  in  autumn. 
Had  it  been  possible  for  conscience  to  prick  through  a  Coyote 
gambler's  skin,  how  it  might  have  gratified  him  to  see  the  marked 
Jack  that  had  fleeced  the  last  stranger  rise  up  like  a  grasshopper 
and  fly  south,  beyond  the  possibility  of  becoming  State's  evi- 
dence! And  how  annoying  to  wake  up,  and  find  the  knave 
again  under  his  window!" 

Coyote  lived  its  brief  eventful  life  in  the  midst  of 
the  buffalo  country.  For  a  hundred  miles  in  any  di- 
rection skeletons  whitened  on  the  plain;  the  meat, 
cut  into  strips  or  lying  on  sheds,  "jerked'' and  mer- 
chantable, was  everywhere.  It  could  be  had  almost 
for  a  song.  Occasionally  a  wild  herd,  stampeded 
by  careless  hunters,  would  dash  directly  through 
the  town,  bowling  over  tents  in  their  terror,  and  cre- 
ating pandemonium  among  the  surprised  occu- 
pants. To  many  of  the  citizens  such  an  occurrence 
was  only  second  in  interest  to  a  dog-fight,  and  bets 

[368] 


MUSHROOM  TOWNS 

were  quite  in  form.  The  sporting  proclivities  of 
the  place  were  especially  aroused  on  one  occasion 
when  a  veteran  buffalo  bull  tried  in  vain  to  fish  out 
a  frightened  citizen  from  behind  a  log,  where  he 
had  hurriedly  taken  refuge  after  a  poor  shot  at  the 
beast.  Try  as  he  would,  the  infuriated  animal  could 
only  succeed  in  tearing  the  man's  clothing  into  rags, 
but  with  every  thrust  there  came  a  yell  which  would 
have  done  credit  to  an  Apache.  Instead  of  inter- 
fering in  the  fun  the  manhood  of  Coyote  placed  bets 
on  the  result,  cheering  in  turn  for  the  bull  or  Sandy, 
with  strict  impartiality. 

Sheridan 

Coyote  had  a  brief  but  merry  life.  The  terminus 
moved  forward  to  Sheridan.  The  change  was  eas- 
ily accomplished.  In  less  than  a  week  not  a  shack 
remained,  only  thousands  of  oyster  and  fruit  cans 
marking  the  deserted  spot.  Sheridan,  where  the 
terminus  remained  longer,  became  a  larger  Coyote. 
It  was  named  after  the  famous  General,  then  sta- 
tioned at  Fort  Hays  not  far  distant,  and  when  that 
hero  was  finally  introduced  to  his  lusty  namesake, 
he  is  said  to  have  remarked  that,  as  a  seat  of  war,  it 
strongly  resembled  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  while 
the  yelling  and  firing  of  the  mob  of  employees 
on  pay-day  reminded  him  of  Stonewall  Jackson's 
ragged  battalions.  Sheridan  graced  the  side  of  a 
desolate  ravine,  with  the  yet  more  desolate  Plains  on 
every  side.  It  was  built  complete  in  a  month,  but 
before  the  single  street  had  even  been  surveyed  the 

[369] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

necessity  arose  for  a  graveyard,  and  one  was 
promptly  located  on  a  ridge  overlooking  the  town. 
When  any  angry  citzen  threatened  to  give  another 
a  "  high  lot"  he  meant  six  feet  of  soil  on  that 
hillside.  During  the  first  week  three  moved  in 
"with  their  boots  on,"  and  during  the  winter  the 
list  was  swelled  to  twenty-six. 

Odd  Characters 

Odd  characters  were  attracted  to  such  a  com- 
munity as  this,  as  flies  to  a  sugar  barrel.  The  cor- 
respondent of  Harper's  Magazine  thus  pictures  two 
who  deserve  to  be  embalmed  in  history: 

"There  was  'Neb,  the  devil's  own.'  Neb  was  an  abbrevia- 
tion of  Nebuchadnezzar,  which  title  he  won  from  taking  so 
naturally  to  grass,  or,  more  correctly,  to  the  prairie,  when  ft 
was  necessary  to  hide  on  account  of  misdeeds.  Had  any  one 
been  interested  enough  to  make  weekly  inquiries  about  Neb's 
whereabouts,  the  answer  would  generally  have  been,  'Out  at 
grass.'  On  two  occasions  he  assisted  men  to  eternity  without 
previously  using  a  boot-jack.  Once,  when  an  Irish  mob  was 
celebrating  pay-day,  Neb  ran  out  of  a  hotel  opposite,  and  emptied 
sixteen  shots  from  a  Henry  rifle  among  them.  No  one  was 
killed,  but  the  'devil's  own'  found  it  necessary  to  go  into  exile 
on  the  back  of  a  stray  mule,  followed  for  hundreds  of  yards  by 
a  howling  mob  and  shower  of  bullets." 

Neb  ended  his  glorious  career  finally  at  the 
hands  of  vigilantes. 

Another  individual  of  prominence  in  Sheridan 
was  "Ascension  Stephen."  According  to  our  re- 
porter,— 

"  This  worthy  was  a  half-witted  Millerite,  who  climbed  the 
two  buttes  once  or  twice  every  month,  with  a  saloon  tablecloth 

[370] 


MUSHROOM  TOWNS 

in  his  pocket  that  might  answer  for  wrapper  when  the  great 
trumpet  should  sound.  Fine  evenings  were  often  spent  by  him  in 
this  weary  and  lonely  waiting,  and  on  one  occasion  he  frightened 
the  wits  out  of  some  drunken  Irishmen  by  rushing  down  the 
hill  toward  them  as  they  were  returning  from  a  wild  debauch. 
So  well  did  the  tablecloth  do  duty  on  this  occasion  that,  for  the 
first  time  in  months,  the  Irishmen  reached  their  homes  sober.  A 
more  effective  temperance  banner  never  fluttered  in  the  breeze." 

Lynching 

Judge  Lynch  was  well  known  in  Sheridan,  and 
the  railroad  trestle  was  a  most  convenient  gallows 
tree.  It  was  sure  to  bear  monthly,  and  sometimes 
daily  fruit.  On  more  than  one  occasion  passengers 
on  the  cars  have  drawn  back  in  affright  as  they 
beheld  staring  up  at  them  the  face  of  some  Texas 
Jack,  or  California  Joe  who  had  perished  in  his 
sins.  Not  that  Sheridan  was,  either  outwardly  or 
inwardly,  moral  or  law-abiding,  but  it  was  gener- 
ally recognized  that  there  was  a  limit  not  to  be 
passed  without  physical  protest.  As  a  rule  morals 
were  rather  looked  upon  as  articles  of  commerce. 
No  one  endeavored  to  possess  any,  unless  money  was 
to  be  made  in  that  way.  If  any  citizen  abjured 
cards,  revelry,  and  wine,  he  was  pretty  certain  to 
have  some  other  game  under  way  which  would  cost 
his  confiding  fellows  heavily.  But  it  would  be  well 
for  him  to  be  far  out  on  the  prairie  before  his  vic- 
tims awoke  to  the  result.  Vengeance  was  quick  and 
sure,  and  vigilance  juries  brought  in  some  queer 
verdicts  in  Judge  LynctTs  Sheridan  court.  The 
chronicler  gives  one  instance  where  a  man,  arrested 
on  suspicion,  but  without  evidence  enough  against 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

him  to  convict,  was  indiscreet  enough  to  call  the 
court  names.  He  promptly  incurred  the  following 
unique  sentence :  "  This  yere  court  feels  herself  in- 
sulted without  due  cause,  and  orders  the  prisoner 
strung  up  for  contempt"  And  strung  up  he  was. 

Sham  "Bad  Men" 

The  town  fairly  blossomed  with  "  bad  men,"  and 
the  crop  of  "  Bill "  heroes  was  without  apparent 
end.  To  be  named  by  doting  parents  William  was 
to  assure  any  ambitious  frontiersman  future  fame: 
he  became  Wild  Bill,  Apache  Bill,  or  some  other 
Bill  by  some  magic  in  the  atmosphere,  a  terror  to 
tenderfeet,  and  generally  a  blasphemous,  swagger- 
ing bully  and  coward.  Our  friend  in  Harper's 
Magazine  thus  pictures  one  such  he  knew  in  Sheri- 
dan. He  was  a  teamster,  named  William  Hobbs. 

"He  could  not  have  placed  a  bullet  from  his  carbine  in  a 
barn  door  at  a  hundred  paces.  And  yet,  without  any  provoca- 
tion whatever,  he  seized  upon  the  word  California  and  wore  it, 
although  that  wonderful  State  had  never,  to  my  certain  knowl- 
edge, been  favored  by  his  presence.  This  man  had  not  been  cut 
out  for  a  hero.  His  becoming  one  was  in  direct  violation  of 
nature's  laws.  He  was  fat,  short  of  wind,  red-faced  and  timid 
as  a  hare.  As  the  frontiersman  expressed  it,  having  never  lost 
any  Indians  he  could  not  be  induced  by  any  consideration  to  find 
one.  However,  by  lying  in  wait  for  tourists  and  correspond- 
ents, he  often  managed  to  get  business  as  a  guide.  He  had 
donned  a  suit  of  buckskins  made  in  St.  Louis,  and  would  state 
to  the  gaping  stranger,  *  My  name  *s  California  Bill  yere ;  over 
thar  it  's  Tache,  on  account  o'  my  fightin'  the  tribe/  He  could 
not  have  told  one  of  the  latter  from  a  Digger,  yet  soon  the 
Eastern  papers  came  back  with  thrilling  descriptions  of  this 
noted  scout  and  Indian-slayer.  But  I  have  known  this  dead 

[372] 


MUSHROOM   TOWNS 

shot,  to  miss,  four  times  in  succession,  a  bison  at  fifty  yards; 
and  one  occasion,  having  mistaken  a  Mexican  herder  for  an 
Indian  he  fled  so  fast  and  far  that  he  lost  hat  and  pistol,  and 
ruined  his  horse." 

Real  "Bad  Men" 

But  do  not  let  this  incline  you  to  believe  there 
were  not  real  "  bad  men  "  in  Sheridan.  The  genu- 
ine article  was  there,  and  woe  to  the  tenderfoot  who 
thought  otherwise.  Both  Cody  and  Hickock,  the 
real  Buffalo  Bill  and  Wild  Bill,  walked  those 
streets,  cool,  quiet  fellows  enough,  but  not  the  kind 
of  men  to  play  with,  unless  you  wanted  to  die.  And 
there  was  another  kind  as  well,  the  typical  frontier 
desperado,  always  in  liquor  and  always  quarrelsome. 
Tragedy  was  in  the  air,  yet  it  scarcely  affected  the 
orderly  citizen  who  was  content  to  attend  strictly  to 
his  own  business.  The  roughs  usually  fought  it  out 
among  themselves.  Writes  this  observer  justly: 

"In  all  my  residence  upon  the  frontier,  during  which  time 
sixty-two  graves  were  filled  by  violence,  in  no  case  was  the 
murder  otherwise  than  a  benefit  to  society.  The  dangerous 
class  killed  within  its  own  circle,  but  never  courted  justice  by 
shedding  better  blood.  Orderly  people  looked  on  with  something 
like  satisfaction,  as  at  wolves  rending  each  other.  The  snarl 
was  the  click  of  a  revolver,  and  the  bite  followed  the  bark. 
These  were  the  men  who  gloried  in  snuffing  out  a  candle,  or  a 
life,  at  thirty  paces." 

An  illustration  occurred  in  the  ending  of  two  no- 
torious bullies  of  Sheridan,  known  locally  as  Gun- 
shot Frank  and  Sour  Bill.  From  some  cause 
unknown  these  worthies  quarrelled,  and  decided  to 
fight  it  out  in  spectacular  fashion,  to  the  delight  of 

[373] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

the  crowd.  Each  armed  himself  with  a  revolver, 
shouldered  a  spade,  and  started  off  for  the  ridge. 
The  plan  was  for  each  man  to  dig  a  grave  for  the 
other,  then  exchange  places,  and  see  which  would 
have  to  be  filled.  However,  before  the  work  was 
half  done,  "Gunshot"  made  an  impudent  remark, 
and  Bill  promptly  shot  him  through  the  body. 
Balked  of  a  good  part  of  their  anticipated  enjoy- 
ment, the  crowd  attacked  "Sour,"  and  in  the 
struggle  which  ensued  he  was  killed.  That  night 
two  men  slept  in  the  graves  dug  by  their  own  hands. 

The  Hotel  at  Sheridan 

Oh,  those  were  great  towns,  gone  forever  from 
the  face  of  the  earth,  yet  lingering  in  memory!  Who, 
that  ever  sought  sleep  in  Sheridan's  one  hotel,  could 
ever  forget  the  experiment?  Hastily  constructed, 
so  as  to  be  moved  at  a  moment's  notice,  every  creak 
of  a  bed  echoed  from  wall  to  wall.  The  partitions 
failed  to  reach  the  ceilings  by  a  foot  or  two,  and  the 
slightest  sound  aroused  the  whole  floor.  A  pistol 
shot  in  No.  47  was  quite  likely  to  disturb  the  peace- 
ful slumbers  of  the  occupant  of  No.  15,  and  every 
"  damn  "  in  the  thronged  bar-room  below  caused  the 
lodger  to  curl  up  in  expectation  of  a  stray  bullet 
coming  toward  him  through  the  floor.  Under  the 
window  a  mob  howled,  and  a  man  in  some  distant 
apartment  was  struggling  vainly  to  draw  off  his 
tight  boot,  skipping  about  on  one  foot  amid  much 
profanity.  That  the  boot  conquered  was  evident 
when  the  fellow  crawled  into  the  creaking  bed.  "  If 

[3741 


MUSHROOM  TOWNS 

the  landlord  wants  them  boots  off,  let  him  come  an' 
pull  'em."  You  could  lie  there  and  hear  every- 
thing that  occurred.  Every  creak  and  stamp  and 
snore  was  faithfully  reported.  Inside  was  purga- 
tory; outside  was  Sheridan.  oancroit 

But  it  has  all  passed  away;  it  was  a  part  of  the 
life  that  was,  but  is  no  more  forever.  The  "  Bills " 
have  gone  the  way  of  all  flesh,  and  so  has  Sheridan. 
The  train  pauses  an  instant  even  now  at  the  station 
bearing  the  name,  but  there  is  nothing  visible  ex- 
cept the  solitary  house  of  the  railroad  section  hands. 
The  hotel,  the  saloons,  the  shacks  have  all  disap- 
peared, and  about  stretch  the  dull,  dead  Plains. 
Only  up  there  on  the  hill,  still  in  their  boots,  lie 
those  whom  the  migrating  Sheridan  left  behind  in 
memory  of  those  days  that  were. 


[3751 


CHAPTER  IX 
IN  1870 

Changes  Effected  by  the  Railways 

BY  THE  end  of  the  sixties  the  Great  Plains  pre- 
sented a  new  aspect.  Over  a  large  part  of  that 
vast  area  civilization  had  already  come,  and  the 
war  henceforth  was  to  be  with  the  forces  of  nature 
instead  of  unrestrained  savagery.  The  lines  of  rail- 
way in  operation  the  full  length  of  Kansas  and 
Nebraska,  bringing  in  new  settlers,  and  making  pos- 
sible a  swift  consolidation  of  troops,  had  completely 
changed  the  aspect  of  the  Indian  country.  Hostile 
alliance  of  the  fighting  tribes  was  no  longer  pos- 
sible, and  one  by  one  they  were  induced  to  go  upon 
their  reservations  under  guard.  Indian  war  was  not 
ended  entirely,  and  trouble  occurred  with  these 
wards  of  the  nation  for  many  years.  The  fierce 
fighting  at  Robinson,  on  the  Rosebud,  at  Slim 
Buttes,  and  Wounded  Knee  were  yet  in  the  future, 
and  the  world  was  yet  to  shudder  over  the  awful 
tragedy  when  the  men  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  went 
down  to  death  on  the  Little  Big  Horn.  Yet  the  end 
was  already  in  sight  —  tribal  outbreaks  might  occur, 
but  never  again  was  a  great  Indian  war  possible. 
Men  of  the  white  race  had  won  to  themselves  the 
Great  Plains;  their  feet  were  securely  planted  on 

[376] 


IN  1870 

the  prairies,  and  there  was  no  turning  back  the  on- 
coming tide. 

From  battle  against  savage  enemies  the  settlers 
turned  now  to  conquering  the  pitiless  forces  of  na- 
ture which  sought  to  bar  their  progress.  Foot  by  foot 
they  won  their  way;  by  the  plough  and  by  tree- 
planting  steadily  pushing  westward  the  reluctant 
rain-belt;  utilizing  the  streams  in  projects  of  irriga- 
tion, and  through  the  wondrous  magic  of  labor, 
converting  the  barren  desolation  into  countless 
farms  and  productive  ranches.  Villages  sprang  up 
along  the  lines  of  steel,  and  upon  the  banks  of  ne- 
glected water-courses;  new  names  appeared  upon 
the  maps,  and  hardy  settlers,  eager  for  cheap  land 
and  glad  of  the  opportunity  for  independent  labor, 
spread  out  farther  and  farther  amid  the  bluffs  until 
they  even  dared  their  fortunes  on  the  open  prairie. 
It  was  the  birthtime  of  States,  of  great  common- 
wealths, rich  in  manhood  and  womanhood,  soon  to 
be  rich  in  all  those  material  things  which  intelligent 
labor  wrests  from  Mother  Earth. 

The  Advance  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska 

The  tale  of  one  section  is  the  tale  of  all,  except 
that  emigrants  naturally  poured  in  more  rapidly 
under  the  stimulus  of  railroads  already  constructed. 
Kansas  and  Nebraska  advanced  by  leaps  and 
bounds.  In  spite  of  droughts,  the  plague  of  grass- 
hoppers, the  occasional  Indian  raids  along  the  ex- 
posed borders,  there  was  no  marked  cessation  of  the 
tide  of  immigration.  Settlers  became  discouraged, 

[377] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

burned  out,  eaten  out,  driven  out,  but  others  as  in- 
stantly took  the  vacant  places,  and  ever  the  skirmish 
line  advanced.  The  Platte  and  the  Arkansas  be- 
came lined  with  cities  and  towns,  farms  and  pros- 
perous settlements.  The  Solomon,  the  Vermilions, 
the  Republican,  the  Big  and  Little  Blue,  the  Elk- 
horn,  and  the  Niobrara,  no  longer  flowed  through 
desolate  prairie,  the  haunts  of  wild  beasts  and  primi- 
tive men,  but  watered  tilled  farms,  and  gave  back  in- 
crease to  the  husbandman. 

Dakota  and   Colorado 

In  far  Dakota  the  progress  was  slower,  yet  no 
less  distinct.  Settlements  fringed  the  streams,  and 
eager  miners  flocked  to  the  unveiling  mystery  of  the 
Black  Hills.  Little  by  little  even  the  great  fighting 
nation  of  the  Sioux  were  compelled  to  yield  up  their 
chosen  land  to  the  resistless  white  invaders.  The 
doom  of  the  Indian  was  already  plainly  writ,  the 
new  chapter  of  development  well  under  way.  In 
Colorado  the  tide  was  beginning  to  sweep  back 
from  the  golden  mountains  out  upon  the  bordering 
Plains.  The  character  of  the  population  was  chang- 
ing, and  the  steady  plodding  farmer  was  rising  to 
an  importance  equal  to  that  of  the  prospector  and 
the  delver  after  minerals.  Life  everywhere  from 
river  to  mountain  had  assumed  a  new  aspect;  the 
old  feverish  border  days  had  gone.  Courts  and  law 
had  become  paramount;  Judge  Lynch  and  the  vig- 
ilantes were  superseded ;  sweet-faced  women  smiled 
from  the  doorways,  and  little  children  played  about 

[378] 


IN  1870 

the  doorsteps.  Civilization  had  laid  its  hand  of 
power  on  all  the  hitherto  wild  scene,  and  content- 
ment and  prosperity  were  coming  to  the  prairies.  It 
was  a  wonderful  story,  that  of  the  marvellous  years 
between  1865  and  1875;  a  story  of  growth,  of  hard- 
ship, of  suffering  manhood  and  womanhood;  and 
it  ended  in  a  victory  never  to  be  forgotten,  never 
to  be  lightly  thought  of.  It  is  not  easy  to  conquer 
a  wilderness ;  it  is  not  accomplished  by  gloved  hands 
and  sweatless  brow.  It  means  days  and  nights  of 
toil,  sacrifice,  privation,  suffering,  and  peril.  It 
means  isolation  and  loneliness,  hours  of  despair,  and 
the  gazing  often  into  the  stony  eyes  of  defeat  before 
natural  obstacles  yield  to  man's  indomitable  will. 
Here  man  is  on  the  firing  line,  and  must  hold  it  at 
all  cost.  The  right  men  were  there ;  from  the  upper 
Missouri  to  the  Rio  Grande  they  moved  steadily 
forward,  a  thin  but  dauntless  line,  their  ragged 
clothes  as  much  a  badge  of  honor  as  the  red-coats 
that  held  the  French  horsemen  at  Waterloo,  while, 
mile  by  mile,  they  transformed  the  barren  desert 
into  a  garden  of  fertility,  and  won  the  world  an 
empire. 

Disappearance  of  the  Cattle  Ranges  and  the  Indian  Trails 

It  was  not  all  done  then ;  it  is  not  all  done  even 
now.  For  many  a  year  the  wide  expanse  of  the 
Plains  proper,  lying  between  the  utmost  western 
advance  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  and  the  backward 
sweep  of  the  Colorado  settlements,  remained  a 
waste.  This  high  and  almost  level  plateau  defied 

[379] 


THE   GREAT   PLAINS 

the  farmer  by  its  lack  of  sufficient  rain-fall,  and  the 
seeming  impossibility  of  irrigation.  Only  through 
long  experiments  of  science  did  it  begin  to  yield  to 
the  demands  of  men.  Here  the  cattle  ranged  in 
vast  herds,  guarded  by  the  remnant  of  that  great 
army  of  cowboys  who  had  once,  and  so  short  a  time 
before,  ruled  the  whole  West  as  their  own  land. 
Already  their  glory  had  departed,  and  they  were 
beholding  the  last  glimpse  of  "  free  water  and  free 
grass."  Here,  also,  were  the  Indian  trails,  no  longer 
worn  deep  through  the  prairie  sod,  but  growing 
ever  more  dim  and  indistinct.  Now  and  then  some 
tribe  would  break  its  bounds,  and  follow  the  old 
trail  in  a  sudden  mad  foray;  there  would  be  burn- 
ing cabins  along  the  uttermost  frontier,  a  breaking 
of  the  thin  white  line,  a  cowboy  dead  and  scalped 
in  some  lonely  coulee,  a  short  trail  of  destruction. 
But  it  was  soon  over  with.  A  swift  gathering  of 
troops,  a  rally  of  settlers,  a  sharp  fight,  and  the  help- 
less red  men  were  guarded  back  to  the  reservation 
from  whence  they  came. 

The  tide  took  new  strength  and  rolled  on,  oblit- 
erating the  old  trails  of  savage  feet,  effacing  the 
great  ruts  worn  by  the  wheels  of  the  speeding  over- 
land or  the  slow-moving  caravans,  ploughing  up 
the  buffalo  wallows,  leaving  us  to  guess  where  the 
express  riders  spurred  their  reeking  ponies,  or  gal- 
lant troopers  rode  forward  to  their  death.  The  end 
was  inevitable,  and  by  1870  it  could  already  be  per- 
ceived. From  then  on  it  was  but  a  question  of  time 
—  and  how  short  a  time!  Much  that  was  pic- 

[380] 


IN  1870 

turesque,  bizarre,  and  romantic  vanished,  but  only 
to  make  room  for  the  more  important  and  lasting. 
"  Home!"  was  the  watchword  of  the  new  invading 
force,  as,  spreading  out  over  rolling  prairie  and 
level  Plain,  fertile  valley  and  arid  desert,  the  toilers 
of  the  crowded  East  came  pouring  in  to  take  pos- 
session of  their  own.  Peace  hath  its  victories  no 
less  renowned  than  those  of  war. 

Conquest  of  the  Great  American  Desert 

It  was  a  long,  toilsome,  and  perilous  journey 
from  that  far  off  time  when  Cabega  de  Vaca  made 
his  solitary  pilgrimage  amid  the  "  hump-backed 
oxen,"  to  the  time  of  the  invasion  by  Anglo-Saxon 
civilization.  For  three  hundred  and  forty-three 
years  those  vast  grim  Plains  had  been  the  scenes 
of  struggle ;  the  sun  of  midday  and  the  stars  of  mid- 
night had  watched  the  slow  transformation.  The 
marching  of  troops  under  three  banners ;  the  desper- 
ate battles  amid  the  dreary  buttes ;  the  slow,  sullen 
retreat  of  savagery;  the  stern  advance  of  silent,  per- 
sistent frontiersmen;  the  slow-rolling  caravans 
piercing  the  wilderness ;  the  daring  riders  spurring 
their  horses  across  the  wide  Plain;  the  victim  sob- 
bing in  torture;  the  lost  traveller  praying  in 
famine;  the  white,  dead  faces  upturned  to  the  piti- 
less sky — all  that  had  been  and  gone.  And  then, 
out  of  the  East  they  came  to  take  possession ;  over 
the  long  miles,  across  the  rivers  and  the  prairies, 
came  the  conquering  Anglo-Saxons  —  men,  women, 
children  —  armed  with  the  plough  and  the  spade, 

[381] 


THE  GREAT  PLAINS 

animated  by  the  dogged  resolution  which  is  the 
inheritance  of  their  race,  thrilling  to  the  thought  of 
home,  and  to  the  passion  for  possession.  The  hour 
and  the  man  had  come;  the  Great  American  Desert 
was  a  thing  of  the  past.  Le  Rot  est  mort:  vive  le  Roi! 

THE  END. 


INDEX 


ABB 

ABBOTT-DOWNING  Co.,  builders  of 

the  Concord  coaches,  202 
Abilene,  Kan.,  317,  342,  352 
Adams,  D.,  77 
Adams,  —     —  ,  fur-trader,  89 
Albuquerque,  N.  M.,  48,  194 
Alexander,    Col.,    158 
Algonquin  Indian  linguistic  stock, 

3i,  35 
American  Fur  Company,   26,   105, 

107,  142,  360 
Anza,  Capt.,  132 
Apache  Canyon,  171 
Apache  Indians,  205,  206,  236,  279, 

323 

Arapahoe  tribe,  31,  32,  35,  38-40, 
53,  84,  86,  95,  96,  118,  169,  212, 
228,  231,  236-238,  240,  255,  260, 
261,  279,  288,  323 

Aricara  tribe,  34-36,  65,  83,  87,  88, 
92,  99,  100,  102,  105,  106,  108 

Arickaree  River,  260,  264,  272,  282 

Arizona,  172,  175,  325 

Arkansas  River,  24,  26,  31,  36,  38, 

39,  43,  49,  55,  57,  5$,  7*-74,  77, 
78,  82,  84,  94,  95,  102,  108,  1  10- 


113, 


123-125,  127, 


128,  147,  155,  156,  160,  165,  167, 

168,  189,  212,  227,  231,  234,  237, 

272,  297,  298,  360,  378 
Armijo,  Gov.,  of  Santa  Fe,  128,  137, 

171,172, 

Armstrong,  Keno,  stage  driver,  201 
Arrow  Rock,  Mo.,  112 
"Ascension  Stephen,"  border  char- 

acter, 370 
Ash  Creek,  123 
Ash  Hollow,  Neb.,  189,  229 
Ashley,  William  H.,  87,  102,  104, 


106,114,358,361 


BEN 


Assiniboine  Indians,  59,  106 
Assiniboine  River,  59 
Astor,  John  Jacob,  86 
Astoria,  Oregon,  86,  105 
Atajo,  or  pack-train,  134 
Atchison,  Kan.,  176,  179,  181,  199, 

200,  301,  308 
Atchison,  David  R.,  305 
Atchison,    Topeka,   and  Santa  Fe 

Railroad,  125 
Atkinson,  Col.  Henry,  76 
Aubrey,  Francis  Xavier,  Pony  Ex- 

press rider,  224 

"Audubon  and  His  Journals,"  93 
Ayre,  Lieut.,  235 

BACK  BONE  RIDGE,  Kan.,  301 
Bad  lands,  19,  60,  238 


Bad  River,  92 
Baird, 


,  trader,  no,  123 


Baker,  Jim,  guide,  153,  355,  360 
Ballard  Falls,  187 
Bancroft,  H.,  quoted,  88,  151 
Bartlett,  Commissioner,  175 


Bascom, 


-,288 


Battle  Creek,  Black  Hills  country, 

I5I 

Beauharnais,  Governor,  59 
Beaver  Creek,  263,  274,  282,  283 
Becknell,  William,  112,  113,  115 
Beckwourth,  James  P.,  87,  95,  105, 

355,  361 
Beecher,  Lieut.  Frederick  H.,  262, 

268 

Belden,  George  P.,  211 
Bell,  Lieut.  David,  206,  207 
Bell,  Capt.  John  R.  77-79 
Bell,  Maj.,  Seventh  Cavalry,  279 
Bellevue  (trading-post),  91 


Benavides,  Spanish  historian,  130 

[385] 


INDEX 


BEN 

Bent  brothers,  95 

Bent,  Charles,  116,  117,  207,  208, 

226,  349,  360 

Bent,  Col.  William,  96,  208,  361 
Bent,  W.  W.,  231 
Bent's  Fort,  24,  95,  96,  116,  125, 

165,  168,  170,  189,  208,  212,  231, 

232,  357,  360,  362 
Bidwell's  company  of  California  set- 

tlers, 144 

Bienville,  French  explorer,  54 
Big  Arkansas  River,  46 
Big  Blue  River,  186,  378 
Big  Cheyenne  River,  86 
"Big  Dry,  "67 

Big  Horn  Range,  60,  150,  242,  243 
Big  Horn  River,  83,  100,  239 
Big  Piney  Creek,  243,  246 
Big  Sand  Creek,  26 
Big  Sandy  River,  187 
Big  Sioux  River,  34,  91 
Big  Timbers  of  the  Arkansas,  24 
Big  Vermilion  River,  186 
Bigelow,  Kan.,  186 
"Billy  the   Kid,"   desperado,   349 
Bingham,  Lieut.,  245 
Bird,  -  ,  of   the    Hudson  Bay 

Company,  105 
Bismarck,  N.  Dak.,  59,  62 
Bissonette,  -  ,  fur-trader,  89 
Bitter  Root  Range,  68 
Black  Fork,   158 
Black  Hills,  19,  23,  34,  35,  60,  86, 

92,  150,  151,  237,  238,  299,  354, 

378 

Black  Jack,  Kan.,  309 
Black  Kettle,  262,  272,  273,  278-280, 

284,  286 

Black  Vermilion  River,  186 
Blackfeet  nation,  32,  84,  107 
Blacksnake  Hills  (St.  Joseph,  Mo.), 


Blackwell,   -  ,   fur-trader,   80, 

94 
Blue  Lodge,  Kansas  secret  society, 

302 
Blue  River,  182,  294 


CAL 

Blue  Springs,  116 

Bonneville,  Capt.  E.  L.,  89,  105,  152 

Boone, ,  fur-trapper,   105 

Booth,  Capt.  Henry,  284,  285 
Boots  Hill,  Julesburg  cemetery,  345 
"Boston,"  Pony  Express  rider,  220 

Boudeau,  -    ,  fur-trader,  89 

Bourgmont,    French   explorer,    55, 

56,90 

Bowers,    Sergeant,    245 
Box  Elder  Creek,  Colo.,  235 
Brady, ,  of  Brady  Island, 

188 

Brady  Island,  187,  188 
Brayton,  —     — ,  of   Union    Pacific 

Company,  328 

Brazos  River,  24,  38,  49,  160 
Bridger,  James,  93,  98,   104,   152, 

153,  l85,  355,  358-360,  362 
"Broadhorn"     record,     Santa    Fe 

Trail,  197 

Broadus, ,  trader,  125 

Brown,  Capt.,  245,  246,  248,  250 
Brown,  John,  307-309,  311 
Brown,  J.  C,  118 
Brown, ,  conductor  on  mail 

coach  line,  209 
Brule  Sioux  Indians,  229 

Bryant, ,  trader,  127 

Buchanan's  last  message  carried  by 

Pony  Express  riders,  223 
Buckland's,  222 
Buffalo  Bill,  see  Cody,  W.  F. 
Buffaloes,  25,  26,  42,  43,  47-49,  168, 

381 

" Bull-teams"  on  the  Plains,  89 

Burr,  Aaron,  75 

Burrows, ,  and    family,    144 

Butterfield, ,  of  the  "South- 
ern Overland  Stage"  line,  194, 
200,217 

CABIN  CREEK,  234 
"Caches,  The,"  123 
Caddoan  Indian  linguistic  stock, 

3i,  32,  34 
Calhoun,  Neb.,  91 


[386] 


INDEX 


CAL 

California,  82,  87,  97,  101,  143,  144, 
146,  147,  154,  155,  172,  174-176, 
183, 185,  215,  216,  219,  299,  316 

California   Joe,   scout   and   guide, 

276,  355,  356 
Camp  Centre,  at  the  forks  of  the 

Kansas  River,  231 
Camp  Floyd,  220 
Camp  Supply,  274,  280,  287,  288, 

364 
Campbell,   Robert,   fur-trader,   89, 

104 
Canadian  River,   24,  49,   78,   115, 

117,  127,  205,  231,  275,  286,  316 
Cannon  on  the  Plains,  106,  114,  169 
Cannon  Ball  River,  35 
Canon  City,  Colo.,  73,  74 
Caravan  Grove,  186 
Carpenter,  Col.,  271,  282-284 
Carr,  Col.  Eugene  A.,  282-284,  356 
Carreta,  133 
Carrington,  Col.  Henry  B.,  242,  243, 

245-248,  251 
Carson  City,  Nev.,  220 
Carson,  Kit,  89,  116,  126,  129,  153, 

154,  206,  355-358,  361,  362 

Carson, ,  fur-trapper,  105 

Casement,  Gen.,  332 
Castaneda,  Pedro,  47,  48, 130 
Catholic    missionaries    to   Oregon, 

J43 

Cattle  brands,  346 
Cattle-stealing,  346,  347 
Cattle  trade,  314-325,  335*344,  346 
Central  Pacific  Railroad,  329 
Chaboneau,  interpreter  with  Lewis 

and  Clark  Expedition,  66 
Chamberlain,  S.  Dak.,  92 

Chambers, ,  trader,  no,  123 

Chaplain, ,  trapper,  84 

Chapman,  Amos,  355,  363-365 
Chavez,  Don  Antonio  Jose,  129 
Cherry  Creek,  297 
Cherry,  Dick,  355 
Cherry  River,  92 
Cheyenne  Bottoms,  207 
Cheyenne  River,  92 


COL 

Cheyenne  tribe,  31,  35,  96, 118,  178, 
212,  228,  230,  231,  235-239,  255, 
259,  261,  262,  279,  287,  288,  323 

Chicago,  Rock  Island  and  Pacific 
Railroad,  327 

Chicago,  Union  Pacific  Company 
organized  at,  328 

Chickasaw  Bluff,  on  the  Mississippi, 

44 

Chihuahua,  Mexico,  75, 164 

Chimney  Rock,  189 

Chittenden,  Hiram  M.,  81,  103,  107, 
115-117,  120,  124,  125,  184,  185, 
188 

Chivington,  Col.,  234,  236,  237 

Chouteau,  A.  P.,  94,  in 

Chouteau,  Francis  G.,  90 

Chouteau  Island,  118, 119 

Chouteau,  Pierre,  38 

Chouteau's  trading  house,  154 

Cimarron  Crossing,  123, 168,  261 

Cimarron  Desert,  22,  49,  113,  118 

Cimarron  River,  58,  78,  102,  113, 
125,126,137,316 

Cimarron  Springs,  126 

Civil  War,  its  bearing  on  the  devel- 
opment of  the  Plains,  176,  196, 
200,  208,  212,  225,  227,  233,  237, 
239,  240,  262,  313,  316,  327 

Clark,  Capt.  William,  62,  70,  84 

Claymore, ,  fur-trader,  89 

Cliff,  Charles,  Pony  Express  rider, 
223 

Cloud  Peak,  Big  Horn  Range,  243 

"  Coasts  of  the  Platte,"  187 

Cody,  W.  F.  (Buffalo  Bill),  210,  220- 
222,  284,  355,  356,  363, 373 

Coffeeville,  Kan.,  349 

Coleman, ,  Kansas  squatter, 

3°7 

Collins,  Lieut. -Col.,  213 

Colorado,  18,  24,  58,  71,  73, 148,  212, 
228,  233,  234,  236,  237,  260,  261, 
297,  298,  319,  336,  341,  378,  379 

Colorado  City,  297 

Colorado  River,  48 

Colter,  John,  83,  105 


[387] 


INDEX 


COL 

Columbia,  Mo.,  117 

Columbia  River,  68,  144,  155,  174, 
182, 185, 190,  212 

Columbus,    Christopher,    41 

Columbus,  Neb.,  50 

Comanche  tribe,  31,  38-40,  49,  55- 
57,  96,  102,  118,  119,  123,  126, 
127,  156,  169,  226,  228,  231,  234, 
236,  279,  288,  323,  363,  364 

"Commerce  of  the  Prairies,"  122 

Concord  coach,  202 

Conductor,  Kan.,  124 

Conestoga  wagons,   181 

Connelly,   "Bad  Eye,"  desperado, 

350 

Connor,  Gen.,  239 
Coon  Creek,  123 
Cooper,  Col.  Braxton,  113-115 

Corbin, ,  scout  and  guide,  276 

Coronado,  Francisco  Vasquez,  45- 

50, 120, 130, 132 
Cortez's  introduction  of  the  horse, 

131 

Cottonwood,  211 
Cottonwood  Creek,  123 
Council  Bluffs,  37,  76,  91,  147,  179, 

29°,  327-329,  331 
Council  Grove,  117,  122,  123,  125, 

294 
Council  Grove,  forest  of,     on  the 

Neosho  River,  24 
Court  House  Rock,  189 
Cow  Creek,  123, 129 
Cowboys,    314-325,   336-343 
Coyote,  railroad  construction  town, 

367-369 

Craig, ,  fur-trader,  89 

Crooks,  —    — ,  fur-trader,  86,  105 

Cross  Timbers,  24 

Crow  Indians,  106,  361 

Cummings,  Enoch,  stage  driver,  201 

Cummings,  Gov.,  159 

Custer,  Lieut. -Col.  George  A.,  274- 

281,  286-288,  356 


DAKOTA  tribe,  33 

Dalton  boys,  desperadoes,  349 


DOR 

Day,  John,  fur-trader,   105 

Dayton,  Nev.,  220 

De  Coursy,  Lieut.,  169 

Deep  Creek,  220 

Deer  Stand,  238 

De  la  Harpe,  Benard,  54,  55 

De  la  Verendrye,  Pierre  Gaultier  de 

Varennes,  and  his  sons,  58-61 
De  Moscoco,  Luis  45,  46 
De  Munn,  Julius,  94,  in 
De  Nizza,  Ft  ay  Marcos,  46 
Denver,  Colo.,  38,  78,  94,  176,  181, 

197,  200,  209,  213,  235,  237,  261, 

295,  297 

Denver,  Gen.  John  W.,  312 

De  Onate,  Juan,  133 

De  Padilla,  Fray  Juan,  49,  50 

De  Pineda,  Spanish  explorer,  41 

"Desert,    The    Great    American," 

296,  299,  321,  381,  382 

De  Smet,  Father  P.  J.,  143,  184 

Des  Moines  River,  34 

De  Soto,  Fernando,  44-46 

Desperadoes,  344~347 

De  Vaca,  Alvar  Nunez  Cabeca,  41- 
44,  46, 130,  381 

Dey, ,  of  Union  Pacfic  Com- 
pany, 328 

Diamond  Grove,  117 

Diamond  Springs,  123 

Diaz,    Bernal,    131 

Dickson,  ,  trapper  from 

Illinois,  83 

Digger   Indians,    105 

Divide,  The  Great,  68 

Dixon, ,  364,  365 

Docampo,  Andres,  49,  50 

Dodge  City,  Kan.,  124,  317,  342, 

352 

Dodge,  Col.,  26,  258,  364 
Dodge,  Gen.  G.  M.,  327,  328,  330, 

332,  334 

"Dog  soldiers,"  208,  349 
Dogs  as  pack  animals,  130 
Doniphan,  Col,  164,  166,  172 
Donner  party,   175 
Dorantes,  Spanish  explorer,  42 


[388] 


INDEX 


DOU 

Dougherty,  H.,   77 

Douglas's,  Capt,  party,  151 

Dow,  Charles  M.,  307 

Downing,  Maj.,  235 

Du  Bois  River,  63 

Dunn,  Lieut.  Clark,  235 

Dutch  Henry's  Crossing,  Kan.,  309 

Du  Tisuc,  French  explorer,  54 


EBBERTS,  ,  fur-trader,  89 

Eells,  Mr.  and  Sirs.,  142 
Eighteenth  Infantry,  251 
Eighth   Kansas  Infantry,   237 
Eleventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  274 
Eleventh  Kansas  Regiment,  Com- 
pany L,  284 

Eleventh  Ohio  Cavalry,  238,  239 
Elkhorn  River,   145,   378 
Ellinwood,  123 
Elliott,  Maj.,  275,  280,  281,  286 

Ellison,  ,  trader,  127 

Ellsworth,  Kan,,  317,  342 
El  Paso,  Tex.,  194 
Emigrant  Aid  Associations,  300 
Emory,  Lieut.  W.  H.,  165,  171 

Escudero, ,  Mexican   trader, 

116 

Espinosa,  Mexican  bandit,  363 
Example,  Kan.,  124 

FETTERMAN,  CAPT.  W.  J.,  245-250, 

252 

Fifth  Cavalry,  237,  282,  284 
Fifth  Infantry,  157 
First  Colorado  Cavalry,  234,  237 
First  Dragoons,   165,  230 
First  Missouri  Cavalry,  165 
First  Ohio  Cavalry,  238 
Fisher, ,  frontiersman,  246, 

250 
Fitzgerald, ,  with  Maj.  Hen- 


FOR 


ry's  expedition,  98 


Fitzpatrick, 


-,  fur-trader,  104 


Flathead  Indians,  68,  143 
Flowers,  Lem,  division  agent  on  mail 

coach  line,  209,  210 
Floyd,  Sergt.  Charles,  64 


Fontaine  City,  297 
Fontaine-qui-Bouille  River,  297 

Forbes, ,  171 

Forks  of  the  Platte  River,  77,  188 
Forsyth,  Col.  George  A.  ("Sandy"), 

161-163,  177,  255,  262-271,  282 
Fort  Atkinson,  100,  160 
Fort  Belknap,  160 
Fort  Benton,  106 
Fort  Berthold,  160 
Fort  Brasseaux,  92 
Fort  Bridger,  144,  150,  158,  190 
Fort  Caspar,  251 
Fort  C.  F.  Smith,  242 
Fort  Chadbourne,  160 
Fort  Churchill,  220 
Fort  Clark,  90 
Fort  Cobb,  287 
Fort  Defiance,  92 
Fort  Dodge,  123,274 
Fort  Garland,  234 
Fort  Gibson,  95 
FortHarker,  261 
Fort  Hays,  369 
Fort  John,  190 
Fort  Kearney,  160,  175,  176,  243, 

251,  252,  259,  296 
Fort  Kiowa,  92,  99,  100 
Fort  Lancaster,  160 
Fort  Laramie,  94,   160,  190,  209, 

228,  230,  231,  236,  237,  239,  242 
Fort  La  Reine,  60 
Fort  Larned,  232-236,  363 
Fort  Leavenworth,  141,   157,  165, 

234,  288,  296 
Fort  Lisa,  91,  290 
Fort  Lookout,  92 
Fort  Lupton,  94 
Fort  Lyon,  232,  234,  358,  363 
Fort  Massachusetts,  228 
Fort  Orleans,  56,  57,  90 
Fort  Osage,  90,  115,  118 
Fort  Philip  Kearney,  242 
Fort  Pierre,  92,  160 
Fort  Platte,  94 
Fort  Randall,  91,  230 
Fort  Recovery,  92 


[389] 


INDEX 


FOR 

Fort  Reno,  242,  243 

Fort  Riley,  231,  296 

Fort  Saint  Vrain,  94,  154,  230 

Fort  Scott,  296 

Fort  Sedgwick,  213 

Fort  Sill,  288 

Fort  Smith,  78,  79,  113,  156,  179 

Fort  Sumner,  349 

Fort  Tecumseh,  92,  106 

Fort  Titus,  310 

Fort  Union,  93, 106, 160,  206 

Fort  Vancouver,  184 

Fort  Vanderburgh,  93 

Fort  Wallace,  263,  269,  270,  282, 

283 

Fort  Washita,  160 
Fort  William,  93 
Fort  Williams,  95 
Fort  Wise,  232,  234 
Fort  Zarah,  207 

Fountain  Creek,  Colo.,  78,  94,  95 
Fourth  Iowa  Cavalry,  237 
Fowler,  Jacob,  94,  113 
Franklin,  Kan.,  310 
Franklyn  (Franklin),  Mo.,  114-117 
"Free"  trappers,  80-82,  104,  105 
Fremont,  Lieut.  John  C.,  82,  153- 

156,  182,  356,  360,  362 
Fremont's  Peak,  155 
French  explorers,  51,  53-60 
Frey,  Johnny,  Pony  Express  rider, 

220 

Friday's  Station,  220,  222 
Friends'    Society,     Kansas    secret 

society,  302 
Fur  trade,  32,  33,  53,  61,  63,  64,  80- 

107 

GAILLARD,  soldier  with  Bourgmont, 
56 

Gale, ,  fur-trader,  89 

Galpin, ,  fur-trader,  89 

Gant,  Capt.,  32,  94 
Gardner,  Kan.,  186 
Garrett,  Pat,  sheriff,  349 
Geary,  John  W.,  311,  312 
Genoa,  Nev.,  220 


GWI 

Gervais, ,  fur-trader,  89 

Getty,  Gen.,  288 

Gila  River,  356 

Gilman's,  211 

Gilmer,  Jack,  stage  driver,  201 

Glass,   Hugh,   98-101 

Glenn, ,  of  Glenn's  trading- 
post,  113 

Glenn's  trading-post,  95,  113 

Godey, ,  with  Fremont,  153 

Gold,  discovery  of,  and  gold-seekers, 
44,  no,  144,  146,  150,  157,  174, 
183,  212,  215,  234,  297 

Gore,  Sir  George,  359 

Government  aid  and  development 
of  the  Plains,  61-83,  117-120, 141, 
152,  153,  156,  176,  194,  198,  215, 
216,  225,  233, 328, 329, 331 

Graham,    Capt.,    283 

Grand  Island,  Neb.,  77,  88,  147, 
160, 183, 187, 188 

Grand  Pawnees,  36 

Grand  River,  54,  56,  90,  98 

Grape  Creek,  Colo.,  74 

Grasses  peculiar  to  the  Plains,  24 

Grasshopper  Falls,  Kan.,  302 

Grattan,  Lieut.,  228,  229 

Gray,  W.  G.,  142 

Great  Bend,  on  the  Arkansas  River, 
26,57,72,207,285,317,342 

Great  Falls,  Montana,  67 

Great  Salt  Lake  Trail,  334 

Great  Salt  Lake  Valley,  82,  146, 
150,  157,  *59>  194,  197,  199,  216, 
359 

Greeley,  Horace,  197,  201 

Greer,  Major,  205,  206 

Gregg,  Josiah,  117,  122,  125,  138 

Griffin,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  143 

Grosventre  tribe,  31,  32 

Grover,  Sharpe,  262,  264,  265 

Grummond,  Lieut,  and  Mrs.,  244, 
246,  249-251 

"Gunshot  Frank,"  border  char- 
acter, 373,  374 

Guthrie, ,  fur-trader,  89 

Gwinn,  Senator,  216 


[390] 


INDEX 


HAL 

HALLO  WELL,  LIEUT.,  284,  285 

Hamilton,  Sam,  Pony  Express  rider, 
220 

Hancock, ,  trapper  from  Ill- 
inois, 83 

Hand-cart  company  of  Mormons, 
146, 147 

Harney,  Gen.,  229 

"Harper's  Magazine,"  quoted,  367, 

368,  370,  372,  373 

Harris,  ,  fur-trader,  89 

Harvey,  ,  105 

Haslam,  Robert  H.,  Pony  Express 

rider,  220,  222 
Hays  City,  317,  352 
Hazen,    Gen.,    287 
Heart  River,  65 
Hebron,  Neb.,  187 

Hempstead, — ,  fur-trader,  88 

Henry,  Alexander,  87, 104 
Henry,  Maj.  Andrew,  98 
Henry's  Fort,   100,  102 
Hickock,  William,  351-356,  373 
Hickory  Ridge,  Kan.,  307 
Hicks,  "Pistol,"  desperado,  350 
"High  Salaried  Driver  of  the  Denver 

City  Line,  The,"  popular  song, 

201 

Hines,  Asst.  Surgeon,  247 
"History   of    Kansas,"    Holloway, 

3°4 

Hitchcock,  Ripley,  quoted,  45,  69 
Hobbs,  James,  355,  362 
Hobbs,  William,  372 

Hobbs, ,  plainsman,  129 

Hockaday, ,  stage  line  owner, 

197 

Hoffman,  Maj.,  229,  231 
Holladay,  Ben,  196-200,  203 
Holloway,  J.  N.,  quoted,  304 
Horse  Creek,  189,  221 
Horses,  wild  27,  131;  domesticated, 

130, 131, 136, 181 
Hough,  Emerson,  quoted,  319,  325, 

337,  343,  347,  349 
Howard,  Maj.,  168 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  105 


KAN 

Hughes,  John  T.,  165,  166 
Hungate  family,  murdered  by  Ind- 
ians, 235 

Hunt,  William  P.,  86 
Hutchinson,  Kan.,  129 

ILLINOIS,    fur-traders,    69,  83;    in 

cattle  trade,  316 
Independence,  Mo.,  101,  117,  122, 

124,  127,  129,  147,  164,  173,  179, 

184-189,   192,  194,  224,  294 
"Indian  Country,  The,"  293 
Indian  Territory,  17,  274,  336,  341 
Inman,  Col.  Henry,  116,  125,  134, 

135,  138,  149,  164,  165,  207,  217, 

222,  334,  358,  363 
Iowa,  63,  145,  292,  327 
Iowa  tribe,  31,  56 

Irving,  Washington,  quoted,  183 
Ivanhoe,  Kan.,  124 

JACKSON,  DAVID  E.,  87,  102,  117 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  115 
James,  Edwin,  77,  78 
James  River,  34,  91,  92 
"Jay-hawking,"  origin  of  term,  312 
Jefferson,  Thomas,  61 
Jenness,  Lieut.  John  C.,  253,  256 
Johnson,  President  Andrew,  357, 359 
Johnston,  Col.  Albert  Sidney,  158 

Jones, ,  Kansas  sheriff,   308 

Juan  de  la  Cruz,  Fray,  50 
Julesburg,  Colo.,  176,  210,  211,  213, 

223,  237,  239,  295,  298,  345 
Julesburg  Ranch,  221 

KANSAS,  17,  26,  40,  49,  63,  72,  102, 
118,  120,  124,  140,  158,  183,  212, 
233,  234,  261,  274,  289,  292,  293, 
296,  299-313,  316,  318,  336,  345, 

35i,  353,  376,  377, 379 

Kansas,  on  the  Missouri  River,  155 

Kansas  City,  Mo.,  173, 179 

Kansas-Pacific  Construction  Com- 
pany, 364 

Kansas  Pacific  Railroad,  177,  285, 
366,  367 


[391] 


INDEX 


KAN 

Kansas  River,  37,  56,  57, 63,  90,  91, 
155, 186,  228,  231,  291 

Kansas  tribe,  31,  37,  56,  84,  90,  230 

Kearney,  Gen.,  164-166,  168,  171, 
172 

Kelly,  Jay  G.,  220 

Kelsey,  Mrs.,  with  the  Bidwell 
company,  144 

Kennedy,  Sergeant-Major,  280,  281 

Kerr,  Capt,  117 

Kickapoo  Island,  91 

Kicking  Bird,  Kiowa  Indian,  207 

Kidder,  Lieut.,  273 

Kimball  party  of  Mormon  emi- 
grants, 150 

Kiowa  Creek,    235 

Kiowa  tribe,  32,  38,  40,  96, 118,  207, 

228,  231,  234,  236,  279,  287,  323, 

363>  364 
Kiowan  Indian  linguistic  stock,  31 

Kirkpatrick, ,  175 

Kooskooskee  River,  68 

LA  BONTI,  trading-post,  94 
La  Bonti  Creek,  94 

La  Jeunesse, ,  fur-trader,  89 

La  Junta,  Colo.,  95 

La  Lande,  Baptiste,  109 

Lamme,  Samuel  C.,  116 

Lancaster,  94 

Laramie,  Joseph,  190 

Laramie  River,  ^93,  144,  155,  189 

Laramie,  Wyoming,  148,  214,  221, 

229,  238 
Larimer,  William,  297 

Larison, ,  fur-trader,  89 

Larned,  Kan.,  167 

La    Roche    Jaune     (Yellowstone) 

River,  67 

Las  Animas,  Colo.,  95 
Las  Vegas,  victory  of,  169,  170 
Laurain,     Canadian    on    Missouri 

River,  54 

Laut,  Agnes  C.,  quoted,  104 
Lawrence,  Kan.,  186,  301,  303,  306- 


308,  310,  312,  313 
Leadville,  Colo.,  74 


LOS 

Leavenworth,  Col.,  106,  234 
Leavenworth,  Kan.,   52,  129,  197, 

230,  231,  298,  301 
Lecompton,   Kan.,  310,  311 
Lee,  Jason  and  Daniel,  142 
Legarde, ,  fur-trader,  89 


Le  Grande,- 


-,  frontiersman,  114 


Leroux,  Joaquin,  206 

Leroy,  Neb.,  187 

Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition,  33,  35, 

59,  61-71,  83,  91,  92,  152 
Lewis,  Capt.  Meriwether,  62, 66, 67, 

70,  84 
Liberty  Farm,  210 


Liggett, 
197 


-,  stage    line    owner, 


Lincoln,  Abraham,  and  Western 
railroads,  328 

Lincoln,  news  of  his  election  and 
inaugural  carried  by  Pony  Ex- 
press, 223,  224 

Liquor  among  the  Indians,  39,  65, 
104,  290 

Lisa,  Manuel,  38,  77,  83,  85,  88,  93, 
104 

Little  Arkansas  River,  46,  115, 123, 
166 

Little  Big  Horn  River,  376 

Little  Blue  River,  186, 187,  210,  214, 

378 

Little  Knife  Creek,  69 
Little  Missouri  River,  92 
Little  Prairie,  44 
Little  Raven,  Arapahoe  chief,  279 
Little  Robe,  287 
Little  Rock,  Cheyenne  chief,  278- 

280 
Little  Thunder,  Brule  Sioux  chief, 

229 

Little  Vermilion  River,  186 
Lodge  Tree  Ridge,  246,  247 
Long,  Major  Stephen  H.,  36,  76,  77, 

152 

Long  Mt,  78 
Long  Trail,  The,  314-318,  335,  336, 


34i,  342 
Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  195 

[392] 


INDEX 


LOS 

Lost  Spring,  123 

Louisiana,  42 

Louisiana  Purchase,  61,  81 

Louisville,  Kan.,  186 

Loup  River,  36,  77 

Lower  Ford  of  the  South  Platte,  188 

Lower  Spring,  124 

Lozzeli's  Post,  92 

Lummis,  Charles,  quoted,  174,  180, 

181,  195,  197,  199,  200 
Lynching  on  the  border,  371,  378 
Lynde,  Maj.,  231 

MACAULUS,  -  ,  Pony     Express 

rider,  223 

Mackinaw  fur  companies,  104 
Majors,  Abe,  180,  196,  197,  216,  298 
Maldonado,  Castillo,  42 
Mallet  brothers,  58,  108 
Maloney,  -  ,  fur-trader,  89 
Mandan  Indians,  31,  33,  35,  57,  59- 

62,  65,  66,  69,  82,  84,  92,  99,  105- 

107 

Manhattan,    Kan.,    302 
Marcy,  Capt.  R.  B.,  156,  159 
Marcy,    Gen.,    360 
Marmaduke,  -  ,  trader,  115 
Martin's   party   of   Mormon   emi- 

grants, 150 
Mateo,  Antonio,  93 
Matthieu,  -  ,  fur-trader,  89 
Mauvaises  Terres,  19 
Maxwell,  Lucian  B.,  355,  361 
McCabe,  Jim,  desperado,  350 
McCall,  W.  H.  H.,  262 
McClanahan,  -  ,  trader,  no 
McClellan  Creek,  364 
"McClure's    Magazine,"     quoted, 

174 

McDaniel,  -  ,  of    Texas,    129 
McGaa,  William,  297 
McKnight,  -  ,  trader,  no,  113 
McLaughlin,  -  ,  trader,    113 
McLellan,  -  ,  fur-trader,  86, 


McMaster,  John  B.,  quoted,  75 
McNees    Creek,    125 


MIS 


McNees,  the,  116,  125,  126 

McPherson  Co.,  Kan.,  166 

Means,  Capt.  John,  116, 127 

Meek, ,  fur-trader,  89 

Medicine  Bluff  Reservation,  288 

Menard,  Pierre,  83 

"Merchants'  Express,"  Holladay's, 
196 

Meriwether, ,  trader,  112 

Merritt,  Gen.  Wesley,  356 

Mexico  and  Mexican  War,  27,  41-44, 
46,  50,  74,  82,  108,  119,  133,  137, 
141,  154,  155,  157,  164,  168-173, 
227,  314,  315 

Midway  Station,  Neb.,  223 

Miles,  Gen.,  364 

Milk  River,  67 

Miller, ,  trapper,  86 

Minnard,  Thomas  A.,  303 

Minnesota,  58,  212,  238 

Mirages,  22, 102 

Missionaries,  Spanish,  53;  to  Ore- 
gon, 142,  143;  to  Kansas,  296 

Mississippi  and  Missouri  Railroad, 

327 
Mississippi  River,  41,  42,  44,  46, 

54,  7i,  77,  3i6,  351 
Missouri,  63,  84,  102,  113,  153,  182, 

194,  292,  297,  300-313,  320 
"Missouri   Commonwealth,   The," 

quoted,  192 

Missouri  Fur  Company,  77,  86,  88 
"Missouri      Intelligencer,      The," 

quoted,  115 
"Missouri      Republican,       The," 

quoted,  127 
Missouri  River,  17,  19,  20,  25,  29, 

3*>  33-35,  37,  44,  54~57,  59,  63,  65, 
67,  69-71,  76,  77,  82,  83,  85-88, 
9°,  92,  93,  97>  99,  103-106,  109, 
114,  118,  130,  131,  140,  141,  143, 
146,  154,  155,  160,  173-175,  181, 

l82,  198,  200,  201,  212,  215-217, 
223,  228,  230,  238,  289,  291,  293, 
295,  296,  298,  299,  318,  327,  331- 

333,  337,  35°,  356,  360,  362,  379 
Missouri  tribe,  51,  56 


[393] 


INDEX 


-,  trader,  127 


MIT 

Mitchell,  - 

M'Kandlas  and  his  gang,  despera- 
does, 353,  354 

Monk,  Hank,  stage  driver,  201 

Monroe, ,  trader,  125,  126 

Montana,  60,  67,  239,  319,  324,  349 

Montana  Road,  246 

Monument  Creek,  273 

Mooers,  J.  H.,  262,  265,  266 

Moore,  James,  Pony  Express  rider, 
223 

Mora,  Mexico,  128 

Mormons,  i45-I5I>  I57~I59}  l82> 
183,  231,  293,  294 

Morrison  Expedition,  109 

Morrison,  William,  83,  109 

Mount  Hood,  69 

Mud  Springs,  213 

Mules  as  pack  animals,  132, 134-137, 
179,  181 

Muleteers,  132 

Munger,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  143 

Munroe,  see  Monroe, . 

Mussel-shell  River,  67 

NARVAEZ,  PANFILO  DE,  41 
Natchitoches,  Louisiana,  54,  76 
"Neb,"  border  character,  370 
Nebraska,  17, 19,  36,  49,  63,  72, 140, 
145,  183,  187,  212,  233,  289,  292, 
293,  299,  300,  336,  341,  349,  353, 

376,  377,  379 

Nebraska  City,  296 

Neosho  River,  24 

Netul  River,  69 

Nevada,  87,  316 

New  Boston,  Kan.,  301 

New  Mexico,  18,  24,  39,  47,  58,  no, 
112,  118,  122,  133,  159,  160,  164, 
168,  172,  175,  226-228,  325,  341 

New  York  fur  companies,  104 

New  York,  time  from,  by  coach,  217 

Newell,  —     — ,  fur-trader,    89 

Newton,  Kan.,  317,  342 

Nez  Perce  Indians,  68 

Nichols, ,  settler,    144 

Nicollet, ,  153 


PAC 

Ninth  Wisconsin  Battery,  284 
Niobrara  River,  34,  35,  37,  91,  92, 

291,  378 

Noisy  Pawnees,  36 
North  American  Fur  Company,  87 
North  Dakota,  17,  18,  58,  160,  238, 

289,  298,  319,  349,  378 
North  Fork  of  Canadian  River,  24, 

274 
North  Platte  River,  34,  86,  93,  150, 

160,  185,  189,  210,  221 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  65 
Northwestern  Fur  Company,  86 

OGALLALA  Sioux  INDIANS,  34,  240 

Ogden,  Utah,  329 

Ohio  Valley,  37 

Oil  Creek,  Colo.,  74 

Oklahoma,  17,  39 

"Old  Jules,"  division  agent  of  Pony 

Express,  221,  345 
Omaha,  Neb.,  64 
Omaha  tribe,  31,  37,  56,  239 
Onawa,  Iowa,  91 
Opdike,  Billy,  stage  driver,  201 
Oregon,  82,  142-144,  *47,  i5°»  ^55, 

159,  183,  299 

Oregon  (Columbia)  River,  68 
Oregon  Trail,  88,  101,  142-144,  174, 

182-187,  189-191,  215,  228,  293, 

294 

Osage  River,  37,  71,  90 
Osage  tribe,  31,  37,  38,  51,  54,  56, 

71,  115,  228,  276 

Ossawatomie,  Kan.,  309,  311,  312 
Otoe  tribe,  31,  56 
"Overland    Stage    to    California, 

The,  "176 
Overland  Trail,  175,  183,  212-215, 

238,  295,  363 
Oxen,  use  of,  on  the  Plains,  89,  133, 

136,177,179,181 

PACIFIC  FUR  COMPANY,  86 
Pacific  House,  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa, 

328 
Pacific  Railroad,  327,  328,  334 


[394] 


INDEX 


PAC 

Pacific    Springs,    231 
Pack-trains,  130,  132-136 
Palmyra,    Kan.,    309 
Papin's  Ferry,  186,  294 
Parker,   Samuel,    142 
Parkman,  Francis,  quoted,  57,  361 
Parkville,    Kan.,   303 

Parmalee, ,  fur-trader,  89 

Parteau, — ,  trapper,  84 

Pate,  —     — ,  Kansas   pro-slavery 

leader,  309 

Patterson,  —     — ,  trader,  no 
Pawnee  Fork,  123,  166,  167,  232, 

236,  261,  362 
Pawnee  House,  91 
Pawnee  Loups,  36 
Pawnee  Rock,  123 
Pawnee   tribe,  32,  36,  40,  53,  54, 

58,  64,  71,  72,  77,  118,  123,  237, 

239 

Peale,  T.  R.,  77 

Pecos,  Mexico,  171 

Pecos  River,  43,  160,  170 

Pennsylvania  wagons,  181 

Peno  Creek  Valley,  247 

Perkins,  -     — ,  fur-trader,  88 

Phillebert,  —     — ,  hunter,  in 

Pierce  City,  Idaho,   68 

Pierre's  Hole,  97 

Pike,  Zebulon  M.,  36,  71-75,  94, 
100,  no,  152 

Pike's  Peak,  73,  78 

Pilcher, ,  fur-trader,    88 

Pilot  Hill,  245 

Piney  Island,   245,   252 

Pittsburg  wagons,   136,   181 

Placerville,  Cal.,  196,  200,  220 

Platte  River,  37,  50,  58,  64,  77,  83, 
85,  87-89,  91,  92,  97,  100,  101, 
106,  108,  109,  140,  144,  147,  160, 
182,  183,  187,  188,  229,  238,  273, 
288,  291,  294,  298,  326,  378 

Plum  Creek,  332 

Ponca  Post,  91 

Ponca  tribe,  31,  37 

Pony  Bob  (Robert  H.  Haslam),  220, 

222 


REE 

Pony  Express  riders  and  service, 
147,  186,  216-224,  295,  298,  363 

Poplar  River,  67 

Portuguese   Houses,   93 

Posts  for  fur-traders  and  travellers, 
89-96,  289 

Potts, ,  of  the  Lewis  and 

Clark  Expedition,  83 

Powder  River,  93,  100,  238,  239,  243 

Powell,  Capt.  James,  253,  254 

Prairie  City,  Kan.,  309 

Prairie  schooners,  135,  136,  173,  179 

Pratte, ,  trader,    127 

Presho  County,  S.  Dak.,  65 

Price,  Sterling,  164 

Pryor,  Ensign,  105 

Pueblo,  Colo.,  73,  94,  108,  148,  297 

Pueblo,  the,  95,  227 

Purcell,  James,  109,  no 

Purgatory  Creek,  Colo.,  78 

Purgatory  River,  38,  73 

QUAHRADA,  or  Staked  Plains,  288 

Querechos,  49 

Quesnel,  soldier  with  Bourgmont, 

56 
Quivira  tribe,  49 

RAILROAD  construction,  153,  160, 
260,  316,  324,  326-335,  376,  377 

Raton  Range,   205 

Raton  Pass,  362 

Raynolds,  Capt.,  185 

Red  Buttes,  on  North  Platte  River, 
221 

Red  Cloud,  240,  242,  245,  252-254, 
256-258 

Red  River,  42,  45,  49,  54,  55,  62,  74, 
77,  78,  156,  160,  287,  316,  317 

Red  River  of  the  North,  34 

Red  River  raft,  55 

Reed, ,  of  Union  Pacific  Com- 
pany, 328 

Reed's  Station,  220 

Reeder,  Gov.,  of  Kansas  Territory, 

3°4 
Rees  tribe,  34 


[395] 


INDEX 


REN 

Reno,  Nev.,  222 

Republican  Pawnees,  36 

Republican  River,  235,  261,  263, 
282,  288,  378 

Review,  joint,  of  Mexican  and  U.  S. 
troops,  119 

Richards  party  of  Mormon  emi- 
grants, 150 

Richardson,  Albert  D.,  197 


Richardson,  ,  Pony  Express 

rider,  220 

Riley,  Maj.  Bennet,  119 
Rio  Conejos,  74 
Rio  Gallinas,  125 
Rio  Grande,  17,  43, 54,  74,  in,  315, 

319,  350,  356,  379 

Rio  Grande  del  Norte,  39 

River  of  the  West  (Columbia),  68 

Robidoux,  Joseph,  91 

Robinson,  Gov.,  of  Kansas  Terri- 
tory, 313 

Robinson,  on  the  Rosebud,  376 

Robinson,  -    ,  fur-trader,  89 

Rocky  Ridge,  221 

Roff,  Harry,  Pony  Express  rider, 
219 

Roman  Nose,  262,  266,  267,  272 

Root,  Frank  A.,  175,  176 

Rose,  —     — ,  of  Astoria,  105 

Rosebud  Creek,  376 

Rossville,  186 

Round  Grove,   119,  186,  294 

Ruby  Valley,  Utah,  220 

Ruff,  Lieut-Col.,  166 

Rush  Co.,  Kan.,  138 

Rush  Creek,  213 


Russell, 


owner   of   coach 


line,  179,  216,  298 
"Rustlers,"  346,  347 

SABILLE,  ,  fur-trader,  89 

Sabine  River,  42 

Sacajawea    (Bird   Woman),    guide 

and  interpreter,  66,  67 
Sacramento,  Cal.,  219,  223 
Sage  Creek,  213 
Sage,  Rufus,  188,  189 


SER 


Saint-Ange,  Ensign,  56 

St.  Bernard,  Kan.,  309 

Saint-Denis,  French  explorer,  54 

St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  91,  175,  179,  187, 
196-198,  216,  219,  220,  223 

St.  Louis,  26,  62,  63,  67,  69,  71,  76, 
85,  86,  88,  104,  106,  110-113,  129, 
154,  170,  194,  195,  198,  208,  289, 

359 

"St.  Peters,"  American  Fur  Com- 
pany's steamboat,  107 

Saint  Vrain,  Ceran,  116 

Saint  Vrain,  Marcellus,  94 

Saint  Vrain  River,  94 

Salezar,  Gen.,  son  of,  170 

Saline  River,  261 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  220 

"Salt  Lake  Trail,"  Inman,  222 

Sand  Creek,  237 

San  Francisco,  Cal.,  132,  195,  198, 
216,  217 

Sangre  de  Cristo  Range,  74,  in 

San  Jose,  Mexico,  170 

San  Luis  Valley,  74 

San  Miguel,  N.  M.,  115,  117,  125 

Santa  Clara  Spring,  125 

Santa  Fe,  51,  53,  58,  72,  75,  84,  103, 
108-117,  121,  140,  164,  168,  192- 
194,  204,  224,  293,  363 

Santa  Fe  Trail  and  trade  carried 
on  over  it,  36,  40,  51,  95,  102, 106, 
108-129,  133,  140,  141,  154,  165, 
173,  176,  177,  186,  197,  204,  205, 
207,  208,  212,  215,  227,  234,  272, 
284,  293,  349,  361 

Santana  (White  Bear),  207,  279 

Say,  Thomas,  77 


Scott, 


-,  trapper,  101 


Scott's  Bluffs,  101,  189 
Second  Cavalry,  273 
Second  Colorado  Cavalry,  234 
Second  Dragoons,  158,  205,  206 
Second  Missouri  Artillery,  239 
Sedgwick,  Maj.,  231 
Seneca,  223 

Serre,    ,    with    Bonneville's 

expedition,  89 


[396] 


INDEX 


SEV 

Seventh  Cavalry,  274,  278-280,  376 

Seventh  Infantry,  231 

Seventh  Iowa  Cavalry,  238,  239 

Seventh  Michigan  Cavalry,  239 

Seymour,  Samuel,  77 

Shannon,  Wilson,  Governor  of  Kan- 
sas Territory,  305,  307,  310 

Sheridan,  Gen.,  262,  272-274,  286- 
288,  357,  369 

Sheridan,  railroad  construction 
town,  369-375 

Sheriffs  and  marshals,  350 

Shoshonean  Indian  linguistic  stock, 

3i,  39 

Sibley,  Mo.,  90 
Simpson,  George,  95 
Siouan  Indian  linguistic  stock,  31, 

33 

Sioux  City,  Iowa,  64 

Sioux  Falls,  S.  Dak.,  299 

Sioux  tribe,  31,  33-35,  58,  60,  64- 
66,  82,  83,  88,  92,  93,  210-212, 
221,  226,  228,  229,  237-240,  242, 
243,  245,  246,  252,  259-261,  289, 
298,  323,  378 

Sixth  Infantry,  119,  229,  231 

Sixth  Michigan  Calvary,  238,  239 

Sixth  Ohio  Cavalry,  237 

Slade,  Jack,  desperado,  221,  345 

Slim  Buttes,  376 

Smallpox,  33,  37,  59,  106,  107 

Smith,  Jedediah  S.,  87,  101,  102, 
117 

Smith,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  143 

Smith,    "Uncle"    John,    355,   356, 

359 

Smith, ,  trader,  no 

Smith,  -      — ,  364,  365 

Smith's  Creek,  220 

Smoky  Hill  River,  Colo.,  177,  230, 

235,  298 
Smuggling,  95 
Snake  Indians,  66 
Snively,  Col.,  128 
Social  Band,  Kansas  secret  society, 

302 
Solomon  River,  261,  263,  378 


TAG 

Sonora,  Mexico,  132 

Sons  of  the  South,  Kansas  secret 

society,  302 
"Sour  Bill,"  border  character,  373, 

374 
South  Dakota,  17,  18,  33,  58,  64, 

83,  160,  238,  289,  298,  349,  378 
South  Fork  of  the  Republican  River, 

282 

South  Pass,  74,  87,  88,  155,  209 
South  Platte  River,  32,  38,  58,  74, 

77,  84,  87,  94,  1 10,  155,  188,  189, 

213,  230,  235 
"Southern    Overland   Mail,"    194- 

204,  217,  225,  238 
Spalding,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  142 
Spanish  explorers,  25,  41-53 
Split  Rock,  Wyoming,  210 
Spring, ,  quoted,    307,    311, 

3i3 

Stage  lines,  192-215 
Staked  Plains,  48, 156, 160,  227,  288 
Stampedes,  137,  138,  169,  323 
Stanton,  N.  Dak.,  66 
Starr,  Rev.  Frederick,  303 
Stephen,  a  negro  with  De  Vaca,  42, 

46,  47 

Stillwell,  Jack,  269 
Stockton,  Cal.,  194 
Storrs,  Augustus,  115,  116 
"Story  of  the  Soldier,  The,"  177 
"Story  of  the  Trapper,"  104 
Stuart,  Robert,  fur-trader,  86 
Sublette,  William  L.,  87,  93,  102, 

104,  117 
Sully,  Gen.,  238 
Summit  Springs,  284 
Sumner,  Col.,  230,  231 
Sweetwater,  221 
Sweetwater  River,  87,  142,  149, 158, 

209,  221 
Swift  Bear,  239 
Swift,  Lieut.  W.  H.,  77 


TALL  BULL,  284,  288 
Taos,  N.  M.,  in,  118,  168,  169, 
189,  205,  358 


[397] 


INDEX 


TAP 

Tapage,  or  Noisy  Pawnees,  36 
Tecumseh,  Kan.,  310 
Telegraph    installed    across    the 

Plains,  213,  219 
Teller,  Gen.,  237 
Ten  Eyck,  Capt.,  247-249 
Tenth   Cavalry,   Troops  H  and  I, 

271,  282 

Tenth  Infantry,  157 
Teton  River,  106 
Teton  tribe,  34,  65 
Texans'  attacks  on  Santa  Fe  cara- 
vans, 128,  129 
Texas,  17,  24,  27,  39,  42,  47,  76, 109, 

128,  141,  160,  226,  231,  287,  315, 

316,  318,  341 
Thacher,    George,    Pony    Express 

rider,  220 
Three  Crossings  of  the  Sweetwater, 

210,  221 
"Three-fingered  Pete,"  desperado, 

35° 

Tiguex  (Albuquerque),  N.  M.,  48, 49 
Tiltcn's  Fort,  99,  100 
Tobin,  Tom,  206,  355,  363 
Tongue  River,  239 
Topeka,  Kan.,  186,  294,  302,  306, 

3*i>  3i3 

Trappers,  see  Fur  Trade 
Travois,  132 

Trudeau, ,  plainsman,   269 

Trudeau's  House,  91 
Turkey  Creek,  Colo.,  78,  123,  186 
Tutt,  Dave,  desperado,  353 
Twenty-seventh  Infantry,  Company 

C,  252,  253 

UNION  PACIFIC  RAILROAD,  153, 188, 

260,  285,  326,  328,  329,  366 
Upper  Ford  of  the  South  Platte,  189 
Upper  Platte  Bridge,  230 
Utah,  87,  97,  145,  159,  231 
Utah  Lake,  87,  106 
Ute  Indians,  32,  228,  357 


VANDERBERG,  - 
Vera  Cruz  Trail,  132 


-,  fur-trader,  89 


WHI 

Verdigris  River,  95,  113 
Vermilion  River,  34,  91,  294,  378 
Villard,  Henry,  197 
Vigilantes,  348,  378 
Virginia  City,  222 
Virginia  Dale,  Colo.,  213 
Viscara,  Col,  119 

WABASH  RIVER,  37 

Waddell,  ,  owner  of  coach 

line,  1 80,  196,  216 

Wade, ,  fur-trader,  89 

Wagons  on  the  Plains  and  in  the 

mountains,  87,  113, 133, 135, 136, 

144,  179,  181 
Wakarusa  Creek,  186. 
Walker,  Joel  P.,  and  family,  144 
Walker,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  142 
Walker,  Robert  J.,  312 
Walker,  ,  with  Bonneville's 

expedition,  89 
Walnut  Creek,  123,  127,  208,  284, 

285 
Wands,  Lieut.,  245 

Ward, ,  fur-trader,  89 

War-field, ,  and  family,  144 

Warfield, ,  of  Texas,  128 

Warner,  Lieut.,  327 

Washita  Range,  19 

Washita  River,   45,  62,   160,   273, 

278,  281,  282,  286,  287,  364 
Waukarusa,  Kan.,  301 
Webb  City,  Mo.,  353 
Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  199,  203,  222 
"Western  Engineer,"  river  steam- 
boat, 76 

Westport,  Mo.,  173,  359 
Wet  Mountain  Valley,  74 
Wharton,  Capt.,  120 
Wheatley,    ,     frontiersman, 

246,  250 
"White   Chief,   The"   (George  P. 

Belden),  211 
White,  Elijah,  144 
White  family,  captured  by  Indians, 

205,  206 
White  River,  34,  92 


[398] 


INDEX 


WHI 

White  Wolf,  Apache  chief,  205-207 

Whitman,  Marcus,  and  wife,  142, 143 

Wichita  Buttes,  19 

Wichita,  Kan.,  46,  49,  342 

Wichita  River,  55,  156 

Wild  Bill  (William  Hickock),  351- 

356,  373 

Wilkinson,  Gen.,  75 
Williams,   Bill,   mountaineer,    156, 

355,  362 

Williams,  Ezekiel,  84,  116 
Williams,  Frank,  209 
Willow  Creek,  150 
Wind  River,  88 
Wolf  Creek,  274,  275 
Women  on  the  Plains,  77,  142,  290 
Wood  Island,  188 
Wood  River,  148 
Wooton,  "Uncle  Dick,"   206,  355, 

361,  362 

Workman,  David,  116 
Wounded  Knee,  376 


ZIO 

Wyeth,  Nathaniel  J.,  89,  105 
Wyoming,  18,  60,  86,  298,  299,  319, 

324 
Wythe's  Creek,  187 

YANKEE  TOWN,  Kan.,  301 

Yankton,  S.  Dak.,  64 

Yankton  tribe,  34,  230 

Yanktonais  Indians,  34 

Yellow  Hand,  Cheyenne  chief,  363 

"Yellowstone,"  first  steamboat  on 

upper  Missouri,  106 
Yellowstone  Park,  83 
Yellowstone  River,  66,  76,  83,  84, 

87,  93,  98,  101,  102,  106,  185,  356 
Young,  Brigham,  82,  145,  150,  159 
Young,  Capt,  of  the  "Yellowstone," 

106 
Yuma,  Arizona,  195 

ZACATECAS  wagons,  133 
Zionville,  Kan.,  125 


[399] 


